Ohio State's 'Defense Is Not Nearly What It Was a Year Ago'
One season ago Clemson and Ohio State squared off in the College Football Playoff semifinal round in the Fiesta Bowl in a game that pitted to evenly matched teams against one another.
One year later and the two teams are set to do battle once again with a spot in the national title game on the line, with this season's game set to take place in the Sugar Bowl.
However, these are not the same two teams from one season ago. FOX analyst Joel Klatt takes that a step further by saying he thinks one team is better than it was a season ago, while the other has taken a step back.
“I don’t think Ohio State is nearly as good as they were a year ago,” Klatt said recently on The Herd With Colin Cowherd. "Clemson might be as good, if not better than they were a year ago. I’m leaning toward Clemson in this one.
One of the biggest differences can be found in the Ohio State defense. After sporting one of the nation's best defensive units in the country in 2019, the Buckeyes have struggled to replace some of the production lost to the NFL.
Defensive end Chase Young, who led the team in sacks, as well as starting cornerbacks Damon Arnette and Jeff Okudah, were all selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Losing that much talent has taken its toll, particularly on the backend of the Ohio State defense.
"One thing has been very apparent to me covering Ohio State this year, and it’s that defense is not nearly what it was a year ago, in particular in the secondary," Klatt said. "And facing a team that has the weapons that Clemson has and more specifically the quarterback they have?"
Last season Ohio State finished with one of the best pass defenses in the country. This season, the Buckeyes are ranked No. 104 and allowing 261 passing yards per game. It is an area of concern for the Buckeyes, and one that Klatt thinks gives Clemson an edge heading into their New Year's Day matchup.
“Remember, the reason they beat Ohio State is that Trevor Lawrence decided to put a cape on his back and an ‘S’ on his chest and just flat out beat them," Klatt said. "This structure of defense that Ohio State plays leads to a quarterback potentially getting loose. They’re not great in coverage on the outside, they give up way too many big plays. For those reasons, I think I’m leaning towards Clemson right now.”
