Ohio State Football: 3 keys for OSU’s defense against Oregon

For the Ohio State football team to take the leap from a good team to a National Title competitor the defense is going to need to step up. Here is what the Buckeyes need to accomplish on Saturday.

C.J. Stroud was clearly nervous and still developing when he took the field for the first snap of his Ohio State career. Those nerves carried with him throughout the game as he worked past a rocky start and ended up with a decent stat line. But for the Buckeyes, the struggles of their freshman quarterback were not the most concerning part of the game. It was the defense.

All last year the defense plagued Ohio State, but they were able to cover up until the National Championship game. Lacking a game-changing defensive end and struggles in the secondary, the Buckeyes look vulnerable when they put their backs to the endzone and defend.

This will need to get fixed quickly for Ohio State to really fancy themselves as contenders, and against a strong Oregon team, this is a key time to pick things up. Keep in mind Minnesota had one of the best offensive lines the Buckeyes will see this year and were missing their top two corners. Even so, improvements need to made be. Here is what Ohio State will need to show against Oregon.