Why the Ohio State Football team will win National Championship in 2021
By Alex Austin
Ohio State will have a balanced team with improvements on defense
Last year, Ohio State had one of the best offenses in all of college football, but their defense let them down. Finishing the year ranked 59th in total defense, the Buckeyes struggled against Alabama because they could not stop them. This was a wide chasm from the team with the seventh-best offense in the country. This year, Ohio State should be much improved on defense which will be vital in the Playoffs.
Ohio State is returning a lot of promising young pass rushers who have now had an entire offseason to prepare and develop. Zach Harrison, Tyreke Smith, Jack Sawyer, J.T. Tuimoloau, and Javontae Jean-Baptiste represent a talented and deep class. This unit should be much better about getting to the quarterback and I would expect this group to produce a first-round pick in next year’s NFL Draft.
The secondary is also relying on improvements from existing personnel. Ohio State is not lacking in talent in this area. What they needed last year was time to develop and click with Kerry Coombs. Due to the pandemic, the offseason was cut short and players consistently looked like they did not know where they were supposed to be. Add in a full year of coaching and improvements and this unit should be back to BIA.