ATLANTA — Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer and his teammates are not only upset about the way they played in the second half against Michigan. They have also taken issue with the resurfaced narrative that they are not physical enough on defense.
That is enough to provide extra motivation headed into the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Bowl against Georgia on Saturday.
“It definitely pissed us off the way that game ended, because of how well we played in the first half,” Sawyer said Wednesday during media availability. “In the second half, to give up a bunch of big plays, the rushing numbers were off the charts. So, our defense is a little ticked off, and we’re ready to go out there and put our feet back on the turf and give it another shot.”
The questions about the defense’s toughness began last season and grew more pointed after a 42-27 loss to the Wolverines. Coach Ryan Day made a change at defensive coordinator, bringing in Jim Knowles from Oklahoma State.
Over the course of the season, the results have been far better. Ohio State ranks No. 12 in the nation in total defense and is the best team in the country when it comes to not only pressure rate but getting to the quarterback with only four pass rushers.
According to ESPN Stats & Information research, Ohio State averages an FBS-best 36% pressure rate when not blitzing. All of this points to vast improvement as a whole. But the second half against Michigan papered over that improvement because the breakdowns happened on such a large scale in such a big game.
Explosive plays derailed the Ohio State defense, both in the rushing and passing games. As the Buckeyes tried to focus on slowing down Donovan Edwards, J.J. McCarthy made long throws to open receivers — including a 45-yard touchdown pass to Colston Loveland in the third quarter (McCarthy also had a 75-yard touchdown pass to Cornelius Johnson in the second quarter). Donovan Edwards added touchdown runs of 75 yards and 85 yards to give Michigan the 45-23 victory.
“When you evaluate the film, you’ll see how physical or D-line was playing, how physical our linebackers were playing, how physical our O-line was playing, and then to see those big plays happen, there’s nothing you can do about it after the fact,” Sawyer said. “All you can do is worry about this next game.”
Afterward, Knowles took criticism for being slow to make adjustments in the second half. Michigan finished with 530 yards of total offense, including 252 yards rushing.
“I hold myself accountable,” Knowles said. “We certainly know the last game was not how we want to go out. We know there were the issues, and we’ve addressed them. But otherwise, you keep the same course of action. That gives the players confidence. They need to know they have a leader who believes in them and that we’re going to have a great plan and allow them to play fast.”
Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken does not buy the narrative that the Buckeyes are not a physical enough unit and pointed specifically to their 44-31 win over Penn State, in which they created four turnovers.
“They’re just saying that because it’s Michigan,” Monken said. “I don’t buy that watching film. “They won the game against Penn State because they created all the turnovers on the road where they had to have it. The problem is just like any defense, the things that [Knowles] called over the years, a certain amount of times, it’s gotten them off the field, it’s created havoc. It just so happens in that game, a couple of times they hit some plays and it didn’t go their way. So sometimes it happens that way.”
Though all appeared lost after the Michigan game, defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau gave a rousing speech to his teammates on championship Saturday, when Ohio State went out to practice not knowing whether it would make it into the playoff or not. He wanted his teammates to know they still had a chance to reach their goals.
When the Buckeyes did get selected, a weight lifted off the team. Linebacker Tommy Eichenberg described far more physical practices in the lead-up to this game and said they were needed.
“It’s a sense of urgency,” Tuimoloau said. “I think that’s where accountability showed up. Tommy and everybody on that defense, if there was one little mistake, just talking to them, like, ‘Hey, there’s a standard here, we’ve got to live up to them,’ and I think those practices have been helping us and are going to continue to help us.”
Linebacker Steele Chambers added, “Everyone’s just got an edge to them. It’s just been real chippy this past month, and I think it’s just nice we’re able to go out and actually play. It’s been a while.”
Ohio State knows the challenge ahead, considering Georgia is known for its physical play across the board, especially as an elite rushing team with an elite offensive line.
“You know, when somebody talks about another man’s toughness, they’re really questioning your toughness,” Sawyer said. “So, when we hear people talking about how physical they are, we really know what that means is they’re trying to say we’re not that physical. We can’t really say anything, because of what happened the last game, but if you really turn on that tape, you’ll see how physical we played that whole game. We’re just ready to get out there and just prove everybody wrong. That’s been the motto.”