COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ryan Day pulled back ever so slightly on that recent declaration that he expects Ohio State football to produce a top 10 defense. Speaking Thursday after the first of 25 preseason practices ahead of the Sept. 3 opener against Notre Dame, Day clarified a statement made a week earlier at Big Ten Media Days. The Buckeyes do not need a statistically top 10 defense to win right now. They merely must endeavor, intentionally, towards that standard. Day also peeled back the cover on what new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and his staff accomplished with that side of the ball prior to the start of camp. “Certainly, there’s a lot of optimism,” Day said. Ohio State’s defensive progress remains the program’s most crucial unknown as camp begins. Looking across four different measurements of performance — total defense, yards per play, points per game and Football Outsiders’ FEI metric…
Continue Reading: How Ohio State football’s defense can make preseason progress through Ryan Day’s eyes
