OU Football: Five Quick Hits On The Ohio State Defense

As the blue bloods clash between No. 14 Oklahoma and No. 3 Ohio State inches closer and closer, the excitement from Sooner fans and college football fans everywhere continues to grow.  

RELATED: A Closer Look At Ohio State's Offensive Playmakers

OU backup quarterback Austin Kendall may not think much of the Ohio State defense, but the Silver Bullets rank third in the nation by holding teams to just 216 yards per game on average.

That being said, here are some other quick hits about the Buckeyes' defense:

-Ohio State defensive coordinator is Greg Schiano, who previously served as head coach at Rutgers before taking the head gig for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Known for his autocratic style, Schiano has plenty of experience coaching on all levels and will look to disrupt the Oklahoma offense.

-Ohio State also leads the nation in turnover margin at plus-7, and have three pick-sixes on the season already. The secondary is filled with ballhawks that haven’t allowed a pass longer than 20 yards.

-Speaking of the secondary, cornerback Malik Hooker is tied for first in the country with three interceptions, while Marshon Lattimore had two interceptions last week against Tulsa. The Buckeyes have two very solid cornerbacks, and Oklahoma’s receivers will need to get separation in order to be productive against Ohio State seeing they’ve held opposing quarterbacks to only 47 percent completion rate.

-Along with good defensive backs, the Buckeyes have a solid front that has already logged four sacks and 11 tackles for loss. Ohio State will occasionally go to their “Rushmen” package that allows all the Buckeyes’ pass rushers to get on the field at the same time. Tyquan Lewis led Ohio State in sacks last season and looks to have picked up right where he left off, while Raekwon McMillan leads the defensive unit with 12 tackles.

-Oh yeah, they haven’t allowed a touchdown all season despite facing two top-25 scoring offenses from last season. Safe to say they’re pretty good.