DALLAS — Ohio State defeated Oregon 42-20 to win the first-ever College Football Playoff National Championship Game while committing four turnovers and using a quarterback who was listed as the third-stringer during fall camp. These are things well-known by the masses.
But what was equally important to the Buckeyes’ improbable run to a national title — perhaps even more — was their somewhat remarkable turnaround on the defensive side of the football.
“The Silver Bullets are back,” Ohio State linebacker Darron Lee proclaimed in the locker room following the victory over the Ducks.
Lee, of course, was referring to the great Buckeye defenses of old who garnered that nickname from the way they flew around in pursuit of the ball. Seeing Ohio State’s silver helmets filled with Buckeye leave stickers fly around Monday night holding the nation’s second-highest scoring team to just 20 points, brought back some of those memories.
The Buckeyes allowed the Ducks to gain 465 yards in the game, but they only found the end zone twice. That’s something that hadn't happened to Oregon all season.
“It’s a great feeling for our defense to hold them to 20 points, man that feels great,” Lee said.
Ohio State’s one-year turnaround has been well-documented.
To put it mildly, the Buckeyes were bad a season ago, specifically in their pass defense. It ranked 11th in the Big Ten and was 76th nationally.
Head coach Urban Meyer knew in order to contend for a national title a defensive overhaul was needed. So, he brought in Chris Ash to be Ohio State’s co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach. Ash installed a new, more aggressive defensive scheme and the rest, as they say is history.
But even Meyer had concerns if this year’s Buckeyes were capable of playing that championship-level defense until they blanked Wisconsin 59-0 in the Big Ten championship game.
“I didn’t think national title until the after the Wisconsin game when I went ‘Woah, what was that?” Meyer said. “You have to play great defense and our defense, they finished and they’re strong. They tackle so well and I think it’s one of the best tackling teams I’ve ever been around.”
But there was more to Ohio State’s turnaround than just a change in scheme. The Buckeyes had to believe in themselves that they could become a better unit. They had to, or it wouldn’t have happened.
“We knew we couldn’t let those outside things affect us,” said Ohio State co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Luke Fickell. “Sometimes, if you sit and listen to that then you believe it. We try to reinforce to our guys that we play against the best tailback in the country, we play against the three best quarterbacks, maybe, in the country and I know we play against the best offensive line in the country.
“You’ve got to have some faith in the things you see on an every day basis and you’re going to be fine.”
A year ago, it didn’t seem realistic. The Buckeyes’ defense seemed like it had too far to go to become a championship-level unit.
But after an incredible one-year turnaround, it became just that. It also looks to be a strength of the Ohio State program going forward.
“That’s a great feeling for us to revive the Silver Bullets because they’ve been gone for a minute,” Lee said.
