Ohio State Football: 3 Bold predictions on defense in 2021

The Ohio State football team will need to have an improved defense in 2021 to be able to compete and win the National Championship. But, just what can we expect from the Buckeyes?

Ohio State rode Justin Fields and the outstanding offensive unit to the National Championship in 2020 but was then beat by Alabama. While the offense could have produced a little better, there is no doubt the defense let them down in that game.

In 2021, the offense looks like it could be just as good if not better than it was in 2020. For the Buckeyes to be able to go all the way this year and win a National Championship, the defense needs to improve. That defense has some challenges in their way as well.

Ohio State will have some returning players who will need to make key impacts, but as with each new year the Buckeyes will trust in the next-man-up philosophy and hope to see production mirror previous years. Ohio State will likely want to replicate the defensive unit they had in 2019 when they ranked fourth in opponent points per game and had Chase Young destroying opposing offensive lines.

With the expectations and goals established here are my bold predictions for what the Ohio State defense produces on the field this year.