Skip to main content
Ohio State

Scarlet Sunrise: Ohio State tied for second in scoring defense through four games

IMG_7408by: Andy Backstrom09/28/23andybackstrom
Mike Hall by Matt Parker -- Lettermen Row --
Ohio State defensive linemen Mike Hall Jr. (left) and J.T. Tuimoloau (right) look on at Notre Dame. (Matt Parker/Lettermen Row)

Good morning, Ohio State fans, and welcome to the Scarlet Sunrise. Football will always be our focus, but every day we’ll cover news, notes and analysis from across Buckeyes sports. Join us each morning to get caught up on everything you missed in the world of Buckeyes football, recruiting, basketball and more in Scarlet Sunrise.

Ohio State tied for second in scoring defense through four games

Ohio State is tied for second nationally in scoring defense through four games. The only team to give up fewer points per game so far? Arch rival Michigan.

Entering the off week, the Buckeyes are allowing 8.5 points per game. Ohio State hasn’t had a cupcake schedule, either. It opened the season on the road in Big Ten play at Indiana and had to immediately adapt on the fly to an unexpected triple-option approach by the Hoosiers. Then, two weeks later, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ unit was tasked with limiting Western Kentucky, which has featured the the best Group of Five passing offense the last two years. Last week, of course, Ohio State traveled to South Bend for a rock fight with then-No. 9 Notre Dame.

Through it all, the Buckeyes have conceded a total of 34 points.

Here’s some more context about that number…

OHIO STATE SCORING DEFENSE THROUGH FOUR GAMESPOINTS PER GAME ALLOWED
20238.5
202216.0
202123.3
202026.0
20199.0
Stat Source: CFBstats.com

So the Buckeyes have actually given up fewer total points (34) through four games than their 2019 defense did (36). And that 2019 early-season schedule was easier: Ohio State kicked off the year with three of four games at home, playing Florida Atlantic (home), Cincinnati (home), Indiana (away) and Miami (Ohio) (home). Perhaps most impressive, that group shutout the Bearcats, who wound up finishing the year No. 21 with 11 wins.

That feat wasn’t more significant than Ohio State holding Notre Dame to 14 points this season, though. After all, the Fighting Irish came into the top-10 matchup having averaged 46.0 points per game, good for ninth nationally.

The Buckeyes are sixth in total defense in 2023 with 255.5 yards per game allowed. They’ve consistently made game-changing plays at the right time to curtail opponents’ scoring efforts, like when cornerback Denzel Burke intercepted Youngstown State in the end zone on the first drive of the second half in Week 2, or when linebacker Cody Simon and then the safety duo of Lathan Ransom and Sonny Styles both stopped Notre Dame on 4th-and-1 in Week 4.

The Ohio State defense is living up to its billing this season in its second year under Knowles.

Buckeyes players reflect on day after instant classic in South Bend

The day after Ohio State’s one-score thriller at Notre Dame made for some interesting realizations.

Quarterback Kyle McCord even went back and watched the TV copy of the game and came away with a cool observation.

“It’s funny watching it from that point of view and then kind of comparing it to what I saw on the field,” he said. “It seems like it’s happening so fast on TV, and it’s a crazy environment. But when you’re on the field, it seems like everything’s moving in slow motion. You can hear yourself breathe. It’s just a completely different perspective…”

For the full story, go here.

Kyle McCord breaks down final sequence against short-handed Notre Dame defense

McCord went into detail about Ohio State’s final few plays against a Notre Dame defense that was short-handed at the goal line.

McCord saw the deficiency, and the Buckeyes capitalized.

“It’s not our problem they only had 10 guys on the field,” McCord said. “I think we took advantage of it, obviously.”

Ohio State, of course, ran on 3rd-and-Goal with running back Chip Trayanum to the void on the right side of the Notre Dame defensive line.

To get the full story, head on over here.

Marvin Harrison Jr. back in the Woody catching passes after ankle injury at Notre Dame

Ohio State star wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. was back in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center Wednesday afternoon catching passes from the Monarc machine alongside a few of his teammates.

As he normally does, Harrison was working on his craft despite suffering a third quarter injury last weekend during the Buckeyes’ dramatic, 17-14 win at Notre Dame. He was wearing what looked like a support brace and/or tape on his right ankle.

Harrison didn’t miss time during the Saturday night showdown in Notre Dame Stadium after hurting his ankle while run blocking for a 61-yard TreVeyon Henderson rushing touchdown.

For more on his toughness, go here.

Idle week gives Buckeyes time to recover after epic win at Notre Dame

The off week comes at a good time for Ohio State, which scraped out a physical, three-point win at Notre Dame last weekend.

Now, the Buckeyes have had this week to hit the reset button, rest and self-scout. Even though Ohio State is 4-0 and No. 4 in the country, there is a lot of room for improvement.

For more on the Buckeyes’ off week and what it means, go here.

RELATED

Counting down

Buckeyes vs. Maryland: 9 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 58 days

Are you subscribed yet?

Are you ready to get all your latest Ohio State news in one place? Become a member of Lettermen Row today. With your Lettermen Row/On3+ membership, you’ll not only have access to everything that’s happening with the Buckeyes, but you’ll also be able to peruse other fan sites within the network to hear just how rivals are feeling about Ohio State, as well. Make sure to follow along on Twitter, Instagram and on Youtube for all the latest Buckeyes news you need to know.