Ohio State knows defense must improve

Ohio State’s defense figured to be a puzzle entering Thursday’s opener against Minnesota.

Then the Golden Gophers showed looks that forced the Buckeyes to use even more of those puzzle pieces than expected.

“They were changing personnel a lot,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said Monday during his weekly press conference as the No. 3 Buckeyes prepare for Saturday’s showdown at Ohio Stadium against No. 12 Oregon.

The Gophers would use as many as three tight ends to try to outmuscle Ohio State. Those personnel changes often forced the Buckeyes to scramble to get their desired players on the field.

“We wanted to match personnel in that game because we felt like, based on their style of play, that was really important,” Day said. “It looked like a New York sidewalk at times. Guys were coming in, and guys were coming out.”

In addition to matching personnel, Day and defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs said the Buckeyes were rotating

players to allow the cream to rise to the top, and they will continue to do so.

“We’re still finding our way,” Coombs said. “We’re still figuring out exactly who the best players and the best combinations in the best situations are. The only way to do that is to get some game experience, so we played a lot of guys

KYLE ROBERTSON/COLUMBUS DISPATCH Ohio State’s defense had a mixed performance, but Zach Harrison (9) recorded a sack and forced a fumble against Minnesota.