After Uneven Outing Against Virginia Tech, Ohio State's New-Look Defense Still Working Through Growing Pains

By Patrick Maks on September 9, 2014 at 3:15 pm
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In a breath, co-defensive coordinator Chris Ash can and will tell you just about every mistake Ohio State made on defense against Virginia Tech.

It’s like there’s film of the 35-21 loss to the Hokies playing over and over again in his head. There was one play, though, Ash, recalled with photographic detail.

“They hit a deep out at the sticks, 3rd-and-16. (Redshirt freshman cornerback) Eli Apple was off instead of press and that’s what he was supposed to do with the particular call, again it gets down to situations. We talked about that all the time on third down. 3rd-and-5 is different than 3rd-and-14 and you got to understand where the sticks are in the situation,” Ash said.

“And, yes, he was too soft and went past the sticks. But that again is getting used to stuff, that’s a first-time player playing in his second game that has to understand the situation and what that situation calls for him to do.”

Little things like that added up Saturday night and cost the Buckeyes their first loss at home under head coach Urban Meyer. Little things like that are symbolic of a defense that’s still a work in progress after undergoing an offseason overhaul.

For the last six months, Ohio State said its defense — specifically the pass defense — would be faster, nastier and just plain and simple better under Ash and his new schemes and ideas. Its bout against the Hokies was a tale of two halves.

In the first, the Buckeyes surrendered 7-of-10 third down conversions and got carved up apart by quarterback Michael Brewer, a junior transfer from Texas Tech. The 200 yards of total offense wasn’t appalling, but their inability to get off the field in critical situations offered cause for concern.

“The first half obviously wasn’t a good first half for the defense,” redshirt sophomore safety Tyvis Powell said, “but the second half — after we talked about it in the locker room — the second half we was a much improved defense. I think you all can agree with that.”

That’s true. Ohio State gave up 2-of-9 third down conversions in the final 30 minutes of play and kindled a furious 14-point rally that tied the contest at 21 early in the fourth quarter.

But when it mattered the most, Brewer and the Hokies found ways to take advantage of a defense that looked like a unit still very much trying to find its footing in a new system. The Hokies went on a six-play, 65-yard drive to go up a touchdown with about nine minutes to play before icing the game with a pick-six in the final minute.

“Critical situations outside of first and second down — but situations you work on all the time — you really need to be at your best,” Ash said. “We were not at our best Saturday night.”

But Ohio State wasn’t at its worst either.

There were bright spots, like Apple’s interception in the first half, another by sophomore safety Vonn Bell in the third quarter, and a forced fumble by sophomore defensive lineman Joey Bosa. All sparked swings of momentum in the Buckeyes’ favor. A bevy of other mistakes and struggles on the other side of the ball, though, ultimately doomed them.

“We played some excellent snaps of football defensively Saturday night — just not for four quarters,” Ash said. “That’s the challenge that we have to get there sooner than later.”

Meyer called the performance “average.”

“The first two drives were bad, and then we settled down to play some really good defense for about two-and-a-half quarters. We had one bad drive in the second half. For the most part I'm very pleased, but I want to get to the point at Ohio State where it's shut-down, lockdown defense, and let's keep it to seven points,” he said.

“I think we can make that happen as we continue to grow this year. There is still some new blood out there playing and there were far too many — when you meet with our defensive coaches — there were far too many mental mistakes. Effort was not an issue.”

But youth and inexperience is. In some ways, it’s a blessing and a curse. Ohio State can point to the potential for better days but getting there takes time.

“I like the direction we're going,” Meyer said. “We just need to get there really fast.”

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