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2026 tOSU Defense Discussion

I'm ok with guys learning on the job and they'll blow coverages and assignments until they get it right. It happens but do it at 100 miles an hour.

What I was losing my shit over was when we had guys there to make the play and then they somehow break it open for a huge gain. Wtf was that?? That's not our Defense. It seems that they aye getting bogged down with paralysis by analysis and failed to finish.

We had great upperclassmen last year so the complicated levels of the Defense is likely 90% the reason the new faces are struggling. Hopefully it all slows way down for them soon.
Yeah there were a number of big runs specifically where it seemed like there was no where to go but somehow he’d pop out the other side
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Game Thread tOSU at Iowa, Sat. Oct. 3rd, 3:30 pm ET, CBS

Early line is OSU -14.5

Not sure I like that.

Fanduel Sportsbook has the Buckeyes as 14.5-point favorites as they travel to Iowa City to take on the Hawkeyes. The game total opens at 44.5 points.

Just sayin': The bookies think the final score will be something close to 30 - 15 Ohio State
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2026 Polls

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AP Top 25 — Through Games SEP. 26, 2026
Rank Team Record Conference Points Change
1 TEXAS 4-0 SEC 1,737 (62) –
2 GEORGIA 4-0 SEC 1,646 (6) –
3 NOTRE DAME 4-0 FBS Independents 1,581 –
4 MIAMI (FL) 4-0 ACC 1,501 (1) ▲ 2
5 OHIO STATE 3-1 Big Ten 1,465 ▲ 2
6 INDIANA 4-0 Big Ten 1,408 (1) ▼ 1
7 ALABAMA 4-0 SEC 1,305 ▲ 1
8 FLORIDA 4-0 SEC 1,272 ▲ 13
9 OLE MISS 3-1 SEC 1,089 ▼ 5
10 BYU 3-0 Big 12 1,078 –
11 LSU 3-1 SEC 1,073 –
12 TEXAS TECH 4-0 Big 12 1,053 –
13 UTAH 4-0 Big 12 903 ▲ 4
14 IOWA 4-0 Big Ten 856 ▲ 4
15 OREGON 3-1 Big Ten 725 –
16 MISSISSIPPI STATE 4-0 SEC 715 NEW
17 TENNESSEE 3-1 SEC 663 ▼ 3
18 USC 4-1 Big Ten 410 ▼ 6
19 OKLAHOMA STATE 3-1 Big 12 345 NEW
20 HOUSTON 3-1 Big 12 278 ▲ 2
21 SMU 3-1 ACC 246 ▲ 1
22 BOISE STATE 3-1 Mountain West 221 NEW
23 UCLA 4-0 Big Ten 218 NEW
24 KENTUCKY 3-1 SEC 150 NEW
25 MISSOURI 3-1 SEC 118 ▼ 5

USA Today Coaches Poll — Released September 26

Rank Team Record Conference Points Change
1 TEXAS 4-0 SEC 1779 (45) –
2 GEORGIA 4-0 SEC 1735 (17) –
3 NOTRE DAME 4-0 FBS Independents 1641 (3) –
4 MIAMI (FL) 4-0 ACC 1569 ▲ 1
5 INDIANA 4-0 Big Ten 1554 (8) ▼ 1
6 OHIO STATE 3-1 Big Ten 1463 ▲ 1
7 ALABAMA 4-0 SEC 1399 ▲ 1
8 FLORIDA 4-0 SEC 1214 ▲ 14
9 BYU 3-0 Big 12 1166 –
10 TEXAS TECH 4-0 Big 12 1108 –
11 LSU 3-1 SEC 1097 –
12 OLE MISS 3-1 SEC 1021 ▼ 6
13 UTAH 4-0 Big 12 917 ▲ 2
14 IOWA 4-0 Big Ten 887 ▲ 3
15 OREGON 3-1 Big Ten 866 ▲ 1
16 MISSISSIPPI STATE 4-0 SEC 658 ▲ 11
17 TENNESSEE 3-1 SEC 648 ▼ 4
18 USC 4-1 Big Ten 511 ▼ 6
19 SMU 3-1 ACC 327 ▲ 6
20 HOUSTON 3-1 Big 12 301 ▲ 6
21 DUKE 4-0 ACC 230 ▲ 7
22 PENN STATE 3-1 Big Ten 207 ▼ 8
23 UCLA 4-0 Big Ten 183 ▲ 14
24 MICHIGAN 3-1 Big Ten 166 ▼ 6
25 MISSOURI 3-1 SEC 152 ▼ 4
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2026 tOSU Defense Discussion

Skimming the early comments from coaches, they may very well be intentionally running a deep rotation to set up for the long haul.

If it works and you get to the playoffs with a deeper, experienced pool of players that are playing at a higher level-then I guess it's worth some September angst.

If it works. Not going to be easy on the eyes until then.
I'm ok with guys learning on the job and they'll blow coverages and assignments until they get it right. It happens but do it at 100 miles an hour.

What I was losing my shit over was when we had guys there to make the play and then they somehow break it open for a huge gain. Wtf was that?? That's not our Defense. It seems that they are getting bogged down with paralysis by analysis and failed to finish.

We had great upperclassmen last year so the complicated levels of the Defense is likely 90% the reason the new faces are struggling. Hopefully it all slows way down for them soon.
Upvote 0

2026 tOSU Defense Discussion

Maybe. We also ran a sludge fart offense last year supposedly to keep us fresh for the postseason only to run the exact same offense for a whopping total of 12 ppg and about what felt like 3 offensive possessions per game

True but as we learned later, he ws keeping the training wheels on for Sayin because Sayin, to this day, still struggles with getting sped up/reads etc.

It's more plausible that they are intentionally building depth on the defensive side buy yeah, we shall see.
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