Ohio State vs. Northwestern B1G Championship: Defense grades

Ohio State had a tough time beating Northwestern today but was able to do so thanks to their defense.

Ohio State had a rough start to the Big Ten Championship Game. They let Northwestern go right down the field and score a touchdown on the opening drive. They only allowed 3 more points after that and won 22-10. Here is how each unit on the defense graded out in this victory.

After that first drive where Ohio State let Northwestern run all over them, they settled in. That is especially true on the defensive line. The Buckeye defensive line started closing up running lanes. Northwestern only ran for 105 yards all game. The D-line also pushed the pocket in the passing game.

Jonathon Cooper had a sack and so did Haskell Garrett. Garrett continues to be a monster on the line. The Buckeyes have had a great defensive line all year long and that shouldn’t change in the Playoff.

The linebackers were the star of the defense today, specifically Justin Hilliard. Hilliard had the game of his life, intercepting a pass in the endzone and recovering a fumble. He also led the team with 9 tackles and had 2 tackles for a loss. He was everywhere today.

Tuf Borland had 7 tackles, 2 for a loss, and 0.5 sacks. Pete Werner also added 5 tackles. They were all over the field today and led the way in the second half for the Buckeye defense. They did all of this without having Baron Browning, who missed the game due to COVID.

The secondary didn’t have a great day, but they weren’t that bad either. Northwestern had 224 yards passing. Most of that was in the first half though. Josh Proctor came up with an interception in the second half that helped stop Northwestern’s momentum. The secondary was just fine.

The defense needs to play a more complete game in a semi-final for sure, but they really stepped up today when they needed to.