Heading into any ballgame, every defense's goal is simple: don't let the opposing team score.
After allowing 31 points to Oregon State in Week 1 – a fact that defensive coordinator Greg Schiano described as "unacceptable" – Ohio State's defense played to near perfection in Saturday's 52-3 dismantling of Rutgers.
Led by the usual suspects in defensive ends Nick Bosa and Chase Young, the Buckeyes gave up just 69 yards on the ground – bettering last week's mark of 196 – and 65 through the air.
The word "improvement" is an understatement.
"This week, I thought we did a good job," Schiano said. "You know, we gave up some plays but the guys rallied to the football and had two takeaways."
Junior safety Jordan Fuller started in the Buckeyes' secondary after missing last week's contest with a hamstring injury. His presence alone had a significant impact.
When the Scarlet Knights seemed to have an opening, the veteran was quick to dash any hope of a long gain.
"Big difference. (Fuller) is such a stabilizing force and what Rutgers does offensively, with all the shifts and motions, there's a lot of adjusting to do. Our guys did a good job of adjusting."
One factor that didn't change from Week 1 to Week 2 was the elite play of Ohio State's defensive line. Bosa led the team with five tackles – three for a loss – while Young recorded two sacks on the opposite side.
However, it was defensive tackle Robert Landers who gave Rutgers a glimpse into the near future on the very first snap. Landers seemingly moved at the same time the ball did, busted into the Scarlet Knights' backfield and took down running back Raheem Blackshear for a three-yard loss.
"I felt like the first play, me getting the TFL, it kind of helped set the tone of the game a little bit," Landers said. "But at the end of the day, I feel like our performance across the board kept the tempo and the tone of the game up."
Malik Harrison and Jordan Fuller are huge components to Ohio State's back seven.
And, according to Landers, the Buckeyes' performance came against a much improved team.
"Rutgers was a good, solid team," Landers said. "They made a huge stride in the right direction. They'll be an issue for any team they play on the rest of their schedule."
Possibly the only negative was Chase Young's ejection early in the fourth quarter. After safety Shaun Wade came up with his first career interception, Young came onto the field to celebrate. He was called for unsportsmanlike conduct, his second such penalty of the contest — his first came after he spiked the football following his takedown of quarterback Artur Sitkowski in the first half.
Still, Schiano wasn't overly critical of Young's actions.
"I love the emotion and the fever that he plays with," Schiano said. "We just have to make sure we don't let it get in the way of winning. In a tight ballgame, it would've been a shame to lose Chase. He understands. He plays with a lot of emotion. It's not going to be a big thing."
At 2-0, Ohio State will head to Arlington, Texas to take on No. 16 TCU at AT&T Stadium next Saturday night.
It's a venue that many current roster members are familiar with – the Buckeyes' last two wins in Arlington have come over USC in last year's Cotton Bowl and Oregon in the 2014 National Championship.
"We're definitely excited. This is a motivated team we've got," Fuller said. "We're going to keep working hard and get on the film and see what we got next. The venue will bring back some memories but I think that's good for us. We're just going to take it as a regular home game."
Next week's kickoff is slated for 8:00 p.m. on ABC.
"I think we're always motivated," Schiano said. "When you represent the Silver Bullets and when you represent the Buckeyes, there's only one way we play. So when you get in there, you have to represent. We didn't do a good job of that a week ago. I thought we did a much better job today."
