Ohio State Football: Defense Finally Turning a Corner?

The Ohio State football team has been plagued by poor defensive play in recent years, but with a new co-defensive coordinator and a fresh, aggressive scheme, could the Buckeyes be on the verge of fielding a dominant defense?

That's the hope for head coach Urban Meyer, who has consistently lamented the team's defensive woes throughout his tenure in Columbus.

The tipping point came last year in the Big Ten title game, when the Buckeyes were one victory away from playing for the BCS National Championship against Florida State. Instead, Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook dissected a beleaguered secondary, throwing for 304 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Spartans in a 34-24 victory.

That was midway through a three-game stretch when the Buckeyes allowed an average of 38.3 points and 539 total yards to end the 2013 season. It forced Meyer to hit the reset button and start over. 

“We completely have blown up and started from scratch,” Meyer said at Big Ten media days, according to John Kampf of The News-Herald. “(That is) an area that we were not very strong in, pass defense.”

Hiring Chris Ash to join the defensive staff was the first step in Meyer's overhaul.

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

Previously the defensive coordinator for Bret Bielema at Wisconsin and Arkansas, Ash is known for his aggressive 4-3 scheme. His defense requires the cornerbacks to play press coverage close to the line of scrimmage—a big difference from last year's defensive philosophy, which largely had the defensive backs in zone coverage.

Early returns from that drastic change are positive as the Buckeyes currently rank No. 13 in the country in pass defense, allowing just 162.5 passing yards per game. That's down from last year, when Ohio State ranked 110th in the country while allowing 268 passing yards per game.

However, the improved numbers this year come with a caveat. Run-heavy Navy attempted just four passes against the Buckeyes for 20 yards in the season opener. Two weeks later, Kent State was overmatched entirely in a laughable 66-0 rout.

The Buckeyes' first true test came last week against quarterback Gunner Kiel and the pass-happy Cincinnati Bearcats. A simple glance at the box score would indicate that Ohio State failed that test.

Kiel completed 21 of his 32 passes for 352 yards and four touchdowns (against no interceptions). While those numbers aren't a great reflection of the Buckeyes defense, Meyer was able to draw some positives from the performance.

"Those plays" were a reference to the three touchdown catches Cincinnati's Chris Moore hauled in against the Buckeyes. The three plays—one in each of the first three quarters—went for 221 yards, which accounted for 62.8 percent of Kiel's passing yards.

On the first catch, safety Vonn Bell was in position to make the play, but the young sophomore never turned to find the ball. As a result, Moore hauled in a tough pass for the 60-yard score.

On the second play, a missed assignment from one of the safeties put cornerback Eli Apple in a bad position, which resulted in an 83-yard touchdown catch.

The third and final big play was just the result of exceptional misdirection from Kiel, who pump faked the safety out of position to give Moore an open lane for the 78-yard scamper.

All three were the result of missed plays or assignments from freshmen or sophomore defensive backs. The Buckeyes adjusted midway through the third quarter—making sure their safeties were deep enough to support the corners playing press coverage. That produced the desired results for Meyer as Ohio State surrendered just two first downs and 27 total yards on Cincinnati's final four drives.

Once the young players grow more comfortable with Ash's aggressive defensive scheme, the mental lapses and occasional big plays will start to fade, and Ohio State's defense will be primed to regain its dominant status.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats via Ohio State's official website. 

David Regimbal covers Ohio State football for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412.