The Ohio State Buckeyes have one of the best defenses in the nation, and one could certainly argue that their group is the best of the best.
Ohio State took on then-No. 3 Penn State Saturday and allowed just 150 passing yards. It also didn’t allow a single rusher to go north of 50 individual yards for the Nittany Lions.
That’s impressive against a then-undefeated side. Oh, one should also mention it was in front of a record crowd at Beaver Stadium.
The Buckeyes were ranked Tuesday as the No. 2 team in the country by the College Football Playoffs committee. Why have they seen this immense amount of success?
Well, the transfer portal is one reason, and adding both Alabama safety Caleb Downs and Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins has helped.
As for Downs, he’s played like the best safety in the country, and former ESPN NFL Draft analyst didn’t hold back his views on how well the sophomore star has performed.
This is completely random on a Monday night… but just watching Ohio State D tape… Caleb Downs is the best safety in the country. He’s just different. One of the best football players in the country. He would be a top-15 pick in 2025 draft if he were eligible. Maybe top-10.…
— Todd McShay (@McShay13) November 5, 2024
Downs led the SEC with 70 solo tackles last season and has 23 through eight games with Ohio State.
He has six tackles for loss and half a sack as well. Downs impact on the game and his leadership in the secondary has been huge for the Buckeyes, a team that ranks 23rd in the nation in opponents passer ranking.
Expect that to continue as the Buckeyes are expected to be competing for a national championship in the coming months.
