The main thing every member of the Ohio State defense that stepped up to the podium on Friday morning emphasized was execution.
They didn’t execute their defensive game plan during a 32-31 loss to Oregon on Oct. 12 in Eugene, Ore.
Now, the Buckeyes, who field one of the top performing defenses in the nation, have a chance at redemption in the Rose Bowl, with a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals at stake.
“You always hope for a second shot when you don’t do well, and that’s life,” Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said. “A lot of times, you don’t get them. So we have a chance to do better and be better.”
By most metrics, that first game against Oregon was an anomaly for Ohio State’s defense. The Buckeyes have allowed an average of 242.2 yards of total offense — the lowest in the nation — per game this season, but they gave up 496 yards to Oregon. Their vaunted pass rush, featuring some of the best defensive linemen in the country in J.T. Tuimoloau, Jack Sawyer and Ty Hamilton, has compiled 39 sacks this season. Ohio State didn’t touch Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel, let alone even pressure him.
“We have so much trust in the coaches that they’re going to make the right changes for us to be in the best position possible,” Tuimoloau said. “And I think they did just that. One thing we’ve been preaching is ‘execution is really the motive.’ Anything can be called but as long as everybody’s mindset is one mentality — which is just, ‘go get it, and make sure there’s no yard gain,’ — I think that changes the mindset of everybody on the silver bullet defense.”
Veteran leadership
Knowles credited key players on the defensive side of the ball for Ohio State’s consistent success.
“I think when you have a team that’s together with veteran leadership, the week-to-week process stays the same,” he said. “No matter who we’re playing, the point has always been for us to be at our best, to get better from the week before, get better from earlier in the season, and keep improving.”
Fifth-year senior linebacker Cody Simon leads the team with 86 tackles. Twelve of those tackles came against Tennessee in the first round of the CFP, many of which were on Volunteers’ quarterback Nico Iamaleava in the open field, a feat Ohio State will need to replicate against Gabriel in the Rose Bowl to be successful.
“He’s a really smart quarterback, really experienced player. He’s able to move around the pocket pretty well,” Simon said of Gabriel. “It’s going to be our job to really give him different looks and really give him a tough time in the pocket. We can’t make him comfortable.”
The Buckeyes also feature a deep secondary, a staple of Ohio State teams over the years, led by Denzel Burke, Caleb Downs, Lathan Ransom and Jordan Hancock. They thrive on their versatility and communication, which Hancock says has only grown since their first time facing Oregon.
“Caleb makes a lot of checks, Lathan makes a lot of checks. I listen to them,” Hancock said about his role with the safeties. “Whatever they need. If I need to cover somebody, I’ll go cover anybody. If they need me to do run support, I’ll do run support. And it’s really what Caleb does, what we do and Lathan, it just goes back to [safeties coach Matt Guerrieri’s] preparation and everyone’s preparation to give us more flexibility. It doesn’t matter who’s in those positions, and we can all play every position.”
Rose Bowl memories
The last time Ohio State and Oregon met in the Rose Bowl, it was a traditional Big Ten versus Pac-10 matchup, Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly roamed the sidelines as the Ducks’ head coach and 7-year-old Bryce Boettcher watched from the stands.
A Eugene native and now the Ducks’ leading tackler, Boettcher and his parents made the 859-mile trip to root for Oregon.
“It was the only Rose Bowl game I’ve ever been to,” Boettcher said of the 2010 game. “I was little, so I don’t remember a whole lot of it.”
While he doesn’t remember much of the game, other than the tailgating and his seats that “felt like we were a mile away,” Boettcher recalls how it ended for the Ducks — a 26-17 Ohio State victory — creating a core memory that still leaves a bad taste in his mouth.
Years later, Boettcher returns to the Rose Bowl in a Ducks uniform, leading his hometown team onto the field against the squad that once tormented him as a child in storybook fashion.
“You dream of this game,” he said. “I’m pumped to get to do it with this team in this circumstance, especially getting to play Ohio State again. I was hoping we were going to get them again.”
The senior and former walk-on now has the chance to alter history against a team that Oregon has never defeated in the Rose Bowl, with the opportunity to influence the outcome.
“We’re planning on ending this one a little bit differently,” he said.
Defensive disrespect
The Gabriel-led Oregon offense rightfully earns praise as one of the most explosive units in the country. Meanwhile, the Ducks’ defense has quietly become the forgotten component of this well-balanced team.
Oregon is ranked 12th nationally in scoring defense (17.8 points per game) and total defense (301.8 yards per game).
It has consistently delivered crucial performances, including a standout last-minute effort in the previous matchup against Ohio State, which helped propel Oregon to the No. 1 ranking.
Despite its stat rankings, the unit was omitted from the first-team All-Big Ten voting by conference coaches, a series of omissions that Ducks defenders viewed as a blatant sign of disrespect.
“Looking for an outside perspective, I feel like it is disrespectful,” said defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei. “I feel like every guy in our defense is a baller. I feel like they should be recognized for it.”
Uiagalelei, the team’s sack leader and second in the Big Ten with 10 1/2 sacks, was a surprising snub. He said the team’s focus is on collective success, not personal achievements — especially those beyond their control.
While the voting results left Uiagalelei unbothered, linebacker Jeffrey Bassa was not.
“That for sure bothered me a lot when I first saw it,” said Bassa. “That’s all external factors. It’s people that don’t see the grind that we put in every day.”
Bassa, a senior and the team’s designated on-field play-caller, said the defense’s lack of accolades doesn’t define it. While he admits he “took it to heart,” he now uses it as motivation — a mindset his teammates share.
