Ohio State’s efforts to improve its defense have been the story of the Buckeyes’ offseason.
Ryan Day started making changes even before last season ended, announcing in December he had hired Jim Knowles away from Oklahoma State to be Ohio State’s new defensive coordinator. The changes continued in January as Day hired Tim Walton and Perry Eliano to be the Buckeyes’ new secondary coaches while Kerry Coombs, Matt Barnes and Al Washington departed the staff.
Ever since then, Ohio State’s confidence that it will have a much better defense than last season – when the Buckeyes finished 59th nationally in total defense for the second year in a row – has seemingly skyrocketed.