After quickly reviewing it for effort and basic execution, Urban Meyer did something with the defensive game tape from Ohio State’s season opener against Navy that the Buckeyes’ obsessive head coach doesn’t typically do.
He threw it out.
Because while the Midshipmen may have rushed for 370 yards in the 34-17 Ohio State victory, the reality is that Navy’s success with the triple-option raised a headache more than it did a red flag for Meyer and the Buckeyes. There will be no carryover defensively for Ohio State from last weekend to the next—or any other this season—making the game film exceptionally expendable for Meyer.
“You don’t take much from that,” Meyer said. “I didn’t see a lot of missed tackles. I saw a couple of execution errors on a new play they put in. First game of the season, those things happen. I’m not concerned about that.”
The still virtually unknown status of the Buckeyes’ revamped defense is just one of many reasons why this weekend’s showdown with Virginia Tech will serve as Ohio State’s de facto season opener. The Buckeyes left Baltimore with a win—but also several unanswered questions, chief among them being where Ohio State’s pass defense stands at the start of the 2014 season.
What follows is the top three unanswered questions that the Buckeyes still face, heading into their prime-time matchup with the Hokies this weekend.
Unanswered Question 1: How improved will the Silver Bullets be?
Perhaps the largest…
Continue Reading: Ohio State Football: Unanswered Questions Heading into Virginia Tech Showdown
