Can Ohio State Pressure Dillon Gabriel in Oregon Rematch?

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No. 8 seed Ohio State (11-2) will get their long-awaited rematch with No. 1 Oregon (13-0) in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1. The last time the two met was on Oct. 12, where the Ducks squeezed out a huge 32-31 victory. In that game, the Buckeyes' defense could not stop the Oregon passing attack. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel absolutely lit up the Ohio State secondary. The thing that allowed him to do that all game? Gabriel was not sacked or even hit a single time. Since then, Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and his defense have made significant changes. The question that now remains, will those changes produce a different outcome this time around?

Ohio State's Problems in the First Matchup

Pressure

The most glaring issue on the defense was their complete inability to generate any pressure. The methods Ohio State used were quite basic, four-man pressures. They would occasionally throw in a defensive back or linebacker blitz, but they were not effective using them either. They clearly had not had enough reps in practices or games to do many of the things that they were attempting and they were finding very little success. Gabriel operated from a clean pocket on nearly every snap and was able to pick apart the Ohio State defense.

Alignment

The second biggest problem on defense was simply the fact that they could not get lined up in time. There were more than a handful of times in the Oregon matchup where the Buckeyes' defenders were trying to communicate and straighten out their assignments while Oregon was already snapping the ball. The Ducks' offense uses loads of presnap motion and misdirection to make defenses take extra steps to defend every blade of grass. Their motions and tempo helped them catch the defense out of position on numerous occasions.

One-On-One Matchups

The lack of pressure really made life tough for the defensive backs. Cornerback Denzel Burke was targeted eight times, and gave up a catch on each one of those, including two for touchdowns. The Buckeyes gave up multiple explosive plays as they were constantly caught in those one-on-ones with the complete lack of pressure on Gabriel. The Oregon wide receivers are phenomenal and the Ohio State cornerbacks were unable to win those one-on-one battles.

How Has Ohio State's Defense Changed?

The Buckeyes had a bye week following that first Oregon matchup. During that time, head coach Ryan Day and Knowles both spent time making various changes on the defensive side of the ball. Knowles and Day have both used the word "reengineered" to describe the adjustments they made with their unit. That reengineering has resulted in them having the NCAA's top-ranked total defense.

Finding Ways to Generate Pressure

The first thing the Buckeyes had to address and subsequently did was finding ways to generate pressure. In the past, defensive line coach Larry Johnson had consistently put together a rotation of defensive linemen that could generate pressure and sacks themselves with just a straight, four-man pass rush. That was not the case this season. Since the Oregon game, that front seven has made huge changes. The team runs constant stunts, where defensive linemen essentially switch positions and responsibilities after the snap to confuse the offensive line. They also have blitzed their linebackers at a much, much higher rate. LBs Cody Simon and Sonny Styles have both made multiple-sack games since that strategical move.

As for the defensive line itself, they seemed to really gain some momentum in their win against Tennessee (10-3) in the first round. Defensive ends Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau both were sensational against the Volunteers, combining for 3.5 sacks and 3 passes defended. They both got to the QB and were also able to knock down passes consistently. Gabriel's height could make him susceptible to having his attempts knocked down as well. If those two can replicate their production against Tennessee, then the Oregon offense will have to adjust heavily.

Communication

Since that initial Oregon matchup, the Buckeyes have seemingly streamlined their communication and are very, very rarely ever caught out of alignment. Before playing Tennessee, another uptempo offense, Knowles said that his defense is actually "built for tempo." They haven't quite been tested to the same degree they were against Oregon, but clear strides have been made in that department throughout the year.

The Defensive Backfield

Perhaps the most staggering result of their changes has come in the secondary. Since the first game with Oregon, Ohio State has not given up a single passing touchdown. The secondary certainly did not play poorly before, but the lack of pressure on opposing QBs had left them on islands. Now with the front seven really getting home, the cornerbacks have to cover for much less time far down the field.

As for the secondary itself, they have also made strong adjustments since Oct. 12. One thing they do often was previously a Jim Knowles staple: playing a three-high safety look. The Buckeyes have the advantage of defensive back Jordan Hancock being able to play both cornerback and safety. That allows Knowles to drop Hancock into the three-high umbrella with safeties Caleb Downs and Lathan Ransom. That structure in the backfield lets them disguise their coverage much easier and lets those three get a clearer picture of the offense. They can also handle motion much easier from this look, not having to travel and follow receivers across formations. They can afford to line up like that with the ability of their front seven to stuff the run by themselves. They can also afford to have those three each that far from the line of scrimmage because of how stellar they all are in run support. Downs and Ransom both move downhill and tackle incredibly well. Hancock also tackles insanely well for being a natural cornerback.

The Rematch

The Ohio State defense may not have been entirely overhauled since the first time these two teams met. Even so, they have made a plethora of changes structurally and philosophically that have allowed them to become the nation's best defense. Regardless, this rematch presents the biggest challenge they will see this year. It remains to be seen if Knowles' new and improved unit can change the outcome in their favor.