Ohio State football: 5 reasons the Buckeyes will crush Oregon State

5. Bucks’ huge defensive advantage

It’s no secret that the Buckeyes take pride in their defense. This is clear to see from their insanely consistent statistical dominance as they’ve ranked in the top ten in total defense since 2014. Recently, the Buckeyes doubled down on their efforts to maintain a great defense when they hired former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano as the defensive coordinator.

The best part about this defense is that there is never just one area that excels above the others. Some schools, including Ohio State, like to call themselves the “DBU” for their great secondaries, while others like to be more known for boasting tough defensive lines.

For the Buckeyes, it really doesn’t matter. Ohio State does it all.

It’s amazing how many quality defensive players have entered the NFL from Ohio State alone. The defensive line boasts draft picks including Joey Bosa, Sam Hubbard, Adolphus Washington, Tyquan Lewis, and Jalyn Holmes. The list goes on as more firepower is supplied to the Buckeyes’ arsenal every year through fantastic recruiting.

There are plenty of new names on the Buckeyes this year and that is the truest for the defensive unit. The Buckeyes have just five returning starters on their defense. Among them are defensive linemen Nick Bosa and Dre’Mont Jones as well as defensive backs Damon Arnette, Jordan Fuller, and linebacker Dante Booker.

The Buckeyes’ incredible defense alone will be more than enough to shut down the Beavers. In fact, the Beavers were the fifth worst in the nation in giveaways per game as they turned the ball over an average of 2.5 times per contest. Beavers’ quarterback Jake Luton will be pressed to make plays under pressure all game.

If the Buckeyes can make even the best teams turn it over a few times, then they will have no problem shaking up this troubled Beavers team. Expect the Buckeyes to wreak havoc on the Beavers’ offense as a multitude of turnovers should give them the victory.