Ohio State Football: Three questions they must answer against Tulsa

The defense was particularly bad against Oregon, with major improvements needed if Ohio State wants to beat some of the Big Ten powerhouses.

Playing against Tulsa, Ohio State could change nothing schematically or personnel-wise, and will likely hold Tulsa to three touchdowns or less which will be more than enough for C.J. Stroud and the high flying offense to get the win. However, this is a great week to try something different.

The Buckeyes seemed to have a problem understanding their roles, expectations, and responsibilities. Players were running into each other, running to the wrong spot, or not recognizing the 10th time in a row a play was run. If this is from being in an overly complex scheme or on the players not understanding, that has to be different.

Ohio State needs to simplify the defense as much as possible and let the players run around. This may sound silly, but I think it would be far more effective than players not moving until the ball carrier has picked up five yards.

Especially the Ohio State linebackers need to find a way to better understand where they need to be. Even though the score should not be in doubt, Ohio State can show improvement by players being where they need to be.

That will be easy to tell on tape and is not something a large talent gap will be able to cover. This week is going to be a long week for the Ohio State defense, and a new result needs to be on the field.