Why Top Defenses in College Football Will Dictate Big Ten Championship Game
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The Ohio State Buckeyes' defense is regarded as the best defense in college football, as this year's squad possesses the best, pure football players on the field.
Star safety Caleb Downs leads the way from the safety position, while linebacker Arvell Reese rushes the quarterback like a madman. Next to Reese is, Sonny Styles who has quickly become the calming force at the center of the defense, and the rest of the group is just playmakers everywhere.
They are led by the greatest story in college football right now in defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. The former highly-touted coordinator came to Columbus as an NFL lifer, but head coach Ryan Day took a huge chance on him.
Luckily for Ohio State, Patricia the best hire that he could have made in the offseason. He has brought NFL defenses to college, and he can do it because his players are smart enough to get the job done every weekend.
The Buckeyes defense is special and everyone knows it, however; not everyone knows about the opponent on the other sideline on Saturday night. The Indiana Hoosiers are not quite as good as the Buckeyes, but they are not too far off.
Indiana comes into today with the second-best defense in the country in terms of points allowed at 10.2 points per game, in addition to being the fourth-best defense in America in terms of total defense, giving up 251 yards per game.
Ohio State is first in both categories and will present a heck of a challenge for quarterback Fernando Mendoza and the Hoosiers' offense, as the Buckeyes are by far and away the best unit that the Hoosiers have faced this season.
The same can be said for the Ohio State offense. This is the best defense that Ohio State's offense will have faced all year.
Last week against Michigan was the best unit that Ohio State had faced to this point in the year and they handled it with ease. It was a slow start for Ohio State, but they settled in and leaned on Michigan until they tapped out the Wolverines.
For Indiana, they struggled a couple of times this year on offense. The game that stands out amongst the rest is when they took on the Iowa Hawkeyes and only put up 20 points at Kinnick Stadium.
The defenses are going to tell the story on Saturday night. Ohio State has been an equalizer for the Buckeyes all season long. If the offense isn't clicking right away, it doesn't much matter. They keep the opponent at bay and keep the Buckeyes in it.
It's the same for the Hoosiers.
Saturday night's outcome will be determined by which defense shows up and shuts down the other offense.
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