Ohio State Football: What To Know About The 2016 Defense

The Ohio State football season kicks off this weekend. Here’s how the the Buckeyes’ defense shapes up.

As explosive as the Buckeye offense can be, this team will only go as far as the Silver Bullets can take them. With Greg Schiano at the helm, how will the unit fare? After covering the 2016 offensive already, it’s time to give the defense it’s due in the Factory of Sadness Ohio State football preview.

Just how much did the defense lose?

The answer is quite simply, a lot. It’s as much of a turnover of talent the roster has seen in a decade and part of a historic NFL Draft class for Ohio State:

Joey Bosa– 1st Round (3rd Overall)

Eli Apple – 1st Round (10th Overall)

Derron Lee – 1st Round (20th Overall)

Vonn Bell – 2nd Round

Adolphus Washington – 3rd Round

Josh Perry – 4th Round

If you include Tyvis Powell as an undrafted free agent, that’s seven total starters and three of the four starters in the backfield from the 2015 group currently in the NFL. That number jumps to eight starters if Tommy Schutt or Joel Hale are added to the count. All told, that’s 19.5 of 38 sacks and 9 of 11 interceptions.

Most Important Player: Tyquan Lewis, DE

Even more than Raekwon McMillan, Lewis has the toughest leadership task. McMillan has two new outside backers around him, but the linebacking corps as a unit at least appears to have fewer questions and uncertainty with Dante Booker and Chris Worley instilling more confidence than a defensive line group that is in such transition. Lewis is the most talented player among a very deep defensive line group. What may surprise Buckeye fans is that it was Lewis, not Joey Bosa, that led the team in sacks with 8 and was second in tackles for loss with 14. Yes, Bosa demanded two and sometimes three blockers. But give Lewis credit for going out and making plays.

With Sam Hubbard opposite of Lewis and a slew of freshman behind him, Lewis needs to be a veteran presence on defense as one of only three returning starters. What makes him even more crucial is that if he plays at a high level, it allows Larry Johnson to work with his rotations and ease the young players like Nick Bosa and Johnathan Cooper into the mix.

He doesn’t need to replace Joey Bosa, but he does need to be an anchor.

Best Newcomer: Denzel Ward, CB

Ward is listed as a “starter” on the two deep for the Bowling Green game. He’s Ohio State’s fastest player and will get a shot to start opposite Gareon Conley. At the very least, Ward will see time as a third corner where his speed can neutralize a slot receiver or allow the Buckeyes to swarm against the pass. Ward was a former 200-meter champ in Ohio during his high school days.

More from Factory of Sadness

But the talent is real and that’s proven out by the fact that he is listed where he is on the depth chart and that he has pushed Damon Webb to safety. Ward claims he can run a 4.2 in the 40-yard dash, but speed alone isn’t enough to be an impact corner.

After Spring Practice and Fall camp, it’s Ward that has emerged from a pool of contenders including Webb, Marshon Lattimore, and Damon Arnette. That has to speak for something.

Biggest Question Mark: The Run Defense

Sure, the secondary has a lot of work to do to replace three guys who will start week one on NFL rosters. The season averages look better than perhaps the game by game numbers appear. This defense is better built to stop the pass and play from in front. They’re not necessarily a unit that will grind out games in the trenches.

Last year, the run defense struggled mightily at times:

Virginia Tech – 128 yards

Western Michigan – 169 yards

Indiana – 176 yards

Maryland – 253 yards

Penn State – 195 yards

Michigan State – 203 yards

Not great. But the front seven has been completely turned over. Freshman litter the two deep.

The talent is undeniable, but the current defense may be built to make more of an impact in 2017–even with arguably the best linebacker in the country.

Three Bold Predictions

1. There will be at least five different starting defensive backfields in 2016. It won’t be because of injury, but Urban Meyer and Greg Schiano’s constant tinkering and tailoring of the secondary to match up with the opposing offense and to see which players up and down the roster give the team the best chance to win down the stretch. Who we see against the likes of BGSU, Tulsa, and Oklahoma will be very different than who starts against Michigan.

2. Michael Hill shines up front. Tracy Sprinkle (fellow Elyria Pioneer) is garnering preseason buzz for plenty of reasons, but Hill was solid in the rotation last season and can really occupy a lot of space in the middle. Hill will help the youngsters, and Sprinkle come together as a strong unit by season’s end.

3. Greg Schiano performs well and stays beyond 2016. He failed in the NFL and was away from the college game for a long time. Schiano was passed over for a handful of jobs the last couple of seasons.

Next: What You Need To Know About The Buckeyes Offense

He coached well at Rutgers and led that program to at least some semblance of relevancy during his time with the Scarlet Knights. Perhaps it’s the big stage or the joys of working for the best head coach in the business, but Schiano will find it very nice to be a top assistant at a destination program. Being a big fish in a little pond can be overrated.

Home/Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State Football: What You Need To Know About The 2016 Defense

By Joe Russo | Sep 1, 2016

The Ohio State football season kicks off this weekend. Here’s how the the Buckeyes’ defense shapes up.

More from Factory of Sadness