Defensive coordinator was an assistant under OSU’s Urban Meyer at Bowling Green and Florida Michigan defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin.(Photo: Tony Ding, Associated Press) Even before rumors surfaced this morning that D.J. Durkin was on the short list to become Maryland’s next head coach, the Michigan defensive coordinator had a lot on his plate. Durkin, who leads a unit that is second in the nation in total defense this season, has the unenviable task of containing an Ohio State offense that scored 42 points on the Wolverines in each of the past two games in the storied rivalry. Though the Buckeyes have yet to match the potential they showed in last season’s national championship run, and only mustered 132 yards and 14 points against Michigan State last week, they still rank second and third in the Big Ten with 34.4 points and 424.1 yards per game, respectively, and will do everything they can to shake up one of the nation’s top defenses. “Offensively, they do what they do,” Durkin said. “They’ve got great athletes at all positions. They’re a cohesive unit, they’ve been able to stay healthy and they’ve got dangerous guys with the ball in their hand. “They do a great job of getting guys the ball in open space. They’re a very tough team to prepare for.” Among the players able to do that is running back Ezekiel Elliott. …
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