Following the Illinois game, much of the conversation surrounding Ohio State was pretty positive and focused on their offense, and rightfully so. Jeremiah Smith put on one of the best wide receiver performances I have ever seen, and Julian Sayin played one of the most complete games of his career, truly looking like the quarterback he needs to be if Ohio State is going to win it all. Unfortunately they were still some negatives, and once again they were primarily on the defensive side of the ball.
Illinois scoring just 19 points could easily trick you into thinking they struggled offensively, but that wasn't the case. In this game, Illinois put up 492 total yards and gained 25 first downs while narrowly beating out Ohio State in the time-of-possession battle, having the ball for a little over 30 minutes of game time.
Additionally, as a team, the Fighting Illini rushed for 199 yards, averaging 6 yards per carry, and would have gained well over 200 yards if not for sack yardage. Meanwhile, Katin Houser threw for 263 yards and a touchdown, and their receivers averaged 12.5 yards per catch. These numbers are jarring because last year nobody rushed for over 170 yards on the Buckeyes, or even put up 350 yards of total offense or more, over the course of 14 games.
The Why
These numbers are also concerning because they show that a team like Illinois can move the ball consistently against Ohio State, which is alarming given that the Buckeyes will see better offenses as the year progresses.
OSU still has remaining games against USC, Indiana, and Oregon. Three teams with better offensive staffs, quarterbacks, and receivers than Illinois, which makes them even more of a threat because they can pick apart this defense like both Illinois and Texas did at times, but more frequently and in far more devastating ways. They're better teams, and OSU has already put these passing-defense concerns on tape a decent amount, which means they have a lot to work with regarding what gives the Buckeyes trouble.
Then, like always, OSU has a date against Michigan to end the year, a team that may not do much through the air but can run the ball. Michigan has the quarterback, running backs, and offensive line to lean on the Buckeyes' defense and attack this front seven, especially these young, raw linebackers.
They can do so much more effectively than Aidan Laughery and Illinois did. Laughery ran for 113 yards on just 11 carries, so what is stopping Bryce Underwood, Savion Hiter, and Jordan Marshall from doing the same?
The Solution
While Ohio State's defense is a growing problem, it isn't unfixable because I believe Matt Patricia can make changes that help the unit improve and become one of the better units in the country. The main change I need to see Patricia make is simplification; he needs to simplify this defense and what they are trying to do.
One of the main reasons Ohio State's defense was so good last year was due to how complex it was. Matt Patricia could run such a versatile, complex defense because players like Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles, and Arvell Reese could do so many different things from so many different positions while possessing such a high IQ.
Sadly, those former first-round picks aren't walking through the door, and while the Buckeyes have extremely talented players, they aren't those generational college football defenders. They cannot do the same things those players did, and they also don't have the best grasp of the concepts of this defense as a whole.
Now, this isn't an indictment of Ohio State's current defensive players because they are good football players, but a lot of new, younger players are playing together for the first time and playing in a Matt Patricia defense for the first time, which isn't exactly easy.
This is why I recommend that Patricia and his defensive staff simplify everything a bit so you can have fewer defensive breakdowns that have nothing to do with talent, just poor execution.
For example, Ty Robinson's 27-yard touchdown catch late in the game. It wasn't a touchdown because he beat Devin Sanchez one-on-one; it was a touchdown because OSU was playing cover 2, and the safety failed to play the deep half of the field, leaving Sanchez out to dry. Miscommunications and defensive breakdowns in the secondary have been a problem since Texas and Illinois just finally took advantage of it.
Simplifying the defense can help these talented players think less and be faster and more physical, which will lead to a much better version of the defense than what we have been seeing. Even though this Ohio State defense pales in comparison to the Buckeye defenses of the past 2 years, they still do not need to out-think and scheme teams to be good.
Simplifying everything and being slow with overall concept implementation can let the talent shine and help these players get more comfortable and confident playing together; if that happens, the sky is the limit.
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