COLUMBUS, Ohio — Jim Knowles’ expectations for Ohio State football’s defense surpassed even that of head coach Ryan Day coming into the season, and five games in, things have been decent. The Buckeyes rank 14th nationally in yards per play (4.52), 10th in yards per game (263.8) and titled for 14th in points per game (14.8). Among Power Five teams, those rankings go up to ninth, seventh and 12th. But Knowles has decided to fixate on one specific ranking that he isn’t all too happy about. “I was actually disappointed that I just looked that we were 11th in third-down (conversions),” Knowles said. “We certainly have higher aspirations than that. We’re doing well, but it is a critical part of our system. Our guys are trained from the beginning on how to hold the line and know where that down is. “To me, that’s the game of defense: getting the…
Continue Reading: Has Ohio State football’s defense looked championship caliber through five games?
