Ohio State Football missed an opportunity with Marcus Freeman

The Ohio State football team won’t be in Indy this year playing for a Big Ten Championship in a really long time. Part of the reason why that’s the case is because of the defense. It just simply wasn’t good enough in either of the Buckeyes’ losses this season, and it cost them big time.

One big way to fix that defense could have been for Ryan Day to go after a former Buckeye player to coach his defense. That former player is relatable, a good recruiter, and clearly knows what he’s doing as a young defensive coordinator up in South Bend.

That former player is Marcus Freeman. Unfortunately, Day’s lack of action has now made things too late. It has been reported that Freeman will now be given the head coaching gig at Notre Dame. That’s a big missed opportunity with this Ohio State football program.

Freeman would have been a slam-dunk hire here in Columbus. He’s an alumnus that knows what it means to put on the Scarlet and Gray. He would have turned the defense around very quickly. Day would have been celebrated all around the league for such a hire.

Because of his inaction, one of the best up-and-coming defensive coordinators in the country has a different job with a different program. Now, the Buckeyes will be left trying to find someone else who can fill that defensive coordinator role, because it won’t be Matt Barnes or Kerry Coombs.

It’s unfortunate that this is where we’ve come with the defense. We don’t know who’s going to step up and change this defense. All I know is that someone needs to and do it well. Otherwise, there will be more disappointments on the horizon for the Ohio State football team.