DALLAS – Much has been written about the USC defense already this season, and most of it hasn't been good.
The Trojans rank 55th in the country in rush defense and 97th in pass defense this season, allowing just more than 400 yards of offense per game in 2017. USC has allowed 20 or more points in 11 of its 13 games this season, including a 49-14 loss to Notre Dame in which the Irish compiled 497 total yards of offense, 377 of which came on the ground.
Ahead of the 2017 Cotton Bowl, though, Ohio State offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said Tuesday that he believes the Trojans' stats are skewed because of the style of offenses they have been going up against in the Pac-12 conference.
"To me, it is like the conference in the Big 12, where there is so much offensive skill, that sometimes stats can be skewed," Wilson said. "You can skew those stats. They get enough stops and score so much on offense that they win games. That is how Coach Helton and those guys have put it together."
While opposing offenses have attacked the Trojan defense for most of the season with success, USC is not without a number of playmakers on the defensive side of the ball.
USC features four first team All-Pac-12 performers in defensive end Rasheem Green, linebackers Uchenna Nwosu and Cameron Smith and safety Marvell Tell. Ohio State senior offensive tackle Jamarco Jones said Tuesday that what stands out about the Trojans defense is their athleticism across the board.
"They are very athletic on defense. They have guys flying all over the place," Jones said. "Their pass rush is really good and they have some big guys in the middle (to stop) the run game. They pretty much bring everything to the table that you would want in a defense."
USC plays primarily a 4-2-5 defense, electing to play with a nickel back in place of an outside linebacker at times throughout a game to combat opposing spread offenses. While it doesn't look much different to some, the athletic ability of the nickel can make a defense more versatile depending on the style of offense it is facing.
When watching the Trojans on film, Ohio State players and coaches said that USC brings a lot of different looks to a game, which plays into why they are so difficult to prepare for. Wilson in particular said the Trojans present one of, if not the most, diverse defense the Buckeyes have had to prepare for all season.
"With what they will do between their coverage structure, blitz structures and their ability to do some things, they are as multiple as any defense we have seen," Wilson said. "A couple of teams we played down the stretch were very multiple, but (USC) is very multiple and it was nice that we had some time to give our kids a handle."
One of the things USC will do out of its 4-2-5 look is bring blitzes from a variety of different angles and spots all over the field. The Trojans led the Pac-12 in sacks this season, getting to the quarterback 43 times which ranked second nationally behind only defending national champion, Clemson.
Even with a veteran offensive line and a veteran quarterback in J.T. Barrett, Wilson said Ohio State's offense is going to have to fight for yards on Friday night in Arlington, Texas.
"Even a veteran quarterback like J.T., there are a lot of coverage looks they do between where they are pressuring and cloud coverages," Wilson said. "They make your quarterback and your offense work."
