Ohio State Football: Scrutiny in the secondary

We all know that the play in the secondary for the Ohio State football team has been subpar for the last few years. In some fans’ eyes, the secondary has been what has kept Ohio State from winning a national championship. Allowing big plays has been a problem.

The Buckeyes need to have the defensive backs play better this season. We have talked about it since the end of last season. The secondary will face scrutiny unlike any unit the Buckeyes have had in a while because of how it has played in the biggest games.

Fans will be extremely concerned about the corners and safeties this year. Coaches will be too. That’s why Ryan Day went out and got some help from the transfer portal to help shore up the secondary. They don’t really trust who’s on the current roster.

How quickly those transfers pick up Jim Knowles’ defense will be something to watch in the first few games of the season. They need to be able to play freely and quickly, without the burden of thought. Thinking slows players down and makes them make mistakes.

I hope that the Ohio State football team can show that the recruiting they’ve done in the back end is working. They might add three more corners in next year’s class too. All of these players are being brought in to replace the ineffectiveness of players in the past.

Recruiting elite players is great, but getting them to actually play to their talent level is another. If the Buckeyes can get even decent play from the secondary in the biggest game of the year, they will be a lot better off. A national championship might be within their grips if that can happen.

Notre Dame will be the first test. Penn State will be another good one. But The Game will truly let us know if the Buckeyes have what it takes.