After Ohio State lost eight NFL draft picks and its coordinator from last year’s national championship defense, it seemed inevitable that the Buckeyes would take a step back on that side of the ball. In Saturday’s season opener against Texas, the Buckeyes already looked like they could have the nation’s best defense once again.
Facing an immediate test against the No. 1-ranked team entering the season, Ohio State’s defense was dominant vs. the Longhorns, holding Texas to just one touchdown. While the Longhorns finished the game with 336 yards, the Buckeye defense consistently made plays when it needed to, making four fourth-down stops to force turnovers on downs, including one inside the 1-yard line and another inside the 10-yard line, to lead Ohio State to a 14-7 win.