The season didn't start the way Ohio State had hoped it would.
Through its first two games, the Buckeyes ranked dead last in the FBS in pass defense, as they tried to replace three first round draft picks in their secondary.
Almost two months later, Ohio State's secondary, particularly its safeties, appear to be settling into their role. After allowing more than 400 yards per game through the air in the first two games, the Buckeyes rank 31st in the country in pass defense, surrendering an average of 195.3 yards per game.
Ohio State defensive coordinator and safeties coach Greg Schiano praised the improvement of both of his starting safeties on Tuesday. When discussing Jordan Fuller, Schiano said the sophomore's confidence continues to grow each week, allowing him to play faster.
"He had never started before. This is his first year starting. I think he felt his way through the first couple games, figuring out what he can and can’t do," Schiano said. "He is becoming more and more comfortable. He is seeing more offenses, so he understands things better. Usually that is the way it progresses. Guys get more comfortable with everything around them, they start to play faster and I can see him starting to play faster.”
Against Penn State, Fuller played perhaps his best game as a Buckeye. The New Jersey native made a career-best nine tackles, including a tackle for loss of Nittany Lion running back Saquon Barkley on a critical 3rd-and-2 late in the third quarter.
That play in particular stood out for Schiano, who said Fuller's ability to play both in space and near the line of scrimmage makes him the kind of player Ohio State thought he could be.
"He is a strong guy. He is a big safety. He is the kind of safety that you want," Schiano said.
It's not just Fuller that has stood out to Schiano however. Damon Webb, a second year starter for Ohio State has also shown his position coach signs of vast improvement.
Playing alongside Malik Hooker in 2016, Webb was often overshadowed. While he visibly struggled in coverage at times a season ago, he also finished fifth on the team in tackles in his first full season as a starter.
Schiano said some of Webb's growing pains in 2016 were due to a late position change from corner to safety in the spring of his junior season.
"He has progressed. Remember, we moved him sometime in the spring before ’16, so he only played safety for half of spring, maybe. I think he learned the position last year and got more comfortable having a full offseason to evaluate his own play," Schiano said. "Then, go through another spring practice and training camp, he has a much better feel for the whole defense."
That experience appears to be paying off for Webb, who even earned a comparison to Hooker on Tuesday.
Against the Nittany Lions, Webb corralled a second quarter interception of Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley, only to have it called back due to a pass interference penalty. Regardless of it being wiped off the board, the play sticks in the mind of Schiano, who compared Webb's ability to come across the field to make the play to that of Hooker's.
"That was a glimpse of what we need him to do here in the back part of the season," Schiano said. "That looked like a guy that used to play here. He really took off and went and got that thing.”
This season, Fuller and Webb rank No. 1 and No. 3 respectively on the team in tackles. While much of that has to do with the injuries Ohio State has suffered at the linebacker position this year, the Buckeye back end has remained reliable since the loss to Oklahoma.
Schiano said Tuesday he is confident that the improved play from both Fuller and Webb will continue and if it does, Ohio State's defense has the chance to be special.
“When you get two guys that can communicate and figure out problems out there, that is when you are really cooking, and we are starting to get that," he said.
