The mood at Ohio State is pretty sour right now. The Buckeyes were outcoached and outplayed by Michigan State in the Big Ten Football Championship, and their shot at a national title went down the drain.
Buckeye fans are mad and still in shock because they believed that coach Urban Meyer would deliver. For years they yearned to have an offense like Meyer’s, and for 24 games everything was magical. Unfortunately, the Spartans came in with a vengeance and proved once again that defense wins championships.
Michigan State also showed that having a prolific offense is not enough to overcome the failures of a seriously flawed defense. Praise was not bestowed upon Jim Bollman very often during his time at Ohio State, but his Spartan offense was worthy enough against the Buckeyes, shredding them for 438 yards. He left Indianapolis with his seventh Big Ten Championship ring while the Buckeyes left empty handed and wondering what happened.
Outside of Nick Saban, there might not be a better defensive mind in college football than Mark Dantonio. Like it or not, he is the dean in the Big Ten. He may not have Meyer’s hardware, but he’s currently the better coach because of his ability to maximize the performance of his players.
Meyer can change all of that by making one huge decision. Shuffle up the defensive staff.
The list of excuses for why the Buckeyes’ defense underperformed this season is long. Co-defensive coordinators not being on the same page, youth…
Continue Reading: Ohio State Football: 3 Defensive Coordinators Meyer Should Pursue
