Ross Fulton Analysis: What Went Wrong For The Buckeye Defense In Oregon?

Jim Knowles and the Ohio State defense had been among the very best in the nation through five games of the 2024 season, but when they traveled west to take on the Oregon Ducks, things went bad pretty quickly.
Oregon rolled up 32 points and nearly 500 yards of total offense - at 7.6 yards per play - to hand the Buckeyes their first loss of the year. And while fans were quick to point a finger at a few specific plays and players, as always, the true cause of the issues was complicated.
In this episode of the Buckeyes TomOrrow Morning podcast, BuckeyeHuddle.com Xs and Os guru Ross Fulton breaks down the issues he saw and what can be done to fix them.
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[@ricks7990]

25:43 Didn't know he had some of those throws in him? Are you kidding? He's played in part of 6 seasons, has attempted over 1,800 passes, completed over 1,200 of them, has over 16,000 yards passing and has 138 touchdowns passes. Why would you think for a second that this guy can't make just about every darn throw? On top of that, he's run for 1,100 yards and has 30 TDs on the ground. This isn't some freshman QB that nobody's seen before.

[@Peruvian.Lama74]

Makes you wonder why Day didn’t go after him when he got the portal.

[@justincronau7477]

Great job Tom and Ross. Ross your pumpkins are elite. Go Bucks

[@Yoooowesshum]

Bucks will come back stronger. Love the show! Go Bucks

[@bobwoodssr.4683]

BEST Ross show I've seen! Wonder if the staff looks at these? Cant' hurt...Just Sayin...

[@timper4326]

The worst tackling I've seen from experienced players it's pitiful.

[@alanrobinson9021]

Miami's is worse 21 missed tackles

[@mecahhannah]

Awesome as always thanks guys go bucks ❤

[@eaglewiler6004]

I think there is a massive underestimation of Oregon’s talent and experience. 4 and 5 stars all over their roster including at WR and TE, 5 star LT, etc. They flat beat the secondary. Dillon faced almost zero pressure…

[@daviddownie3431]

Larry Johnson refusal to change the line formation is once again killing this team. Day should have retired him last year.

[@matthewmiller5194]

This his last season Bet that they were trying to hold him for Stewart

[@jimmy5634]

Larry Johnson doesn’t scheme the defense, Knowles does.

[@deathbyqtip33]

@@jimmy5634Larry Johnson does coach the D-Line, and the D-Line is flat out not executing like the back 7 is

[@supremeenchilada8725]

@@jimmy5634LJ often calls whatever he wants for the DL. The disconnect is apparent - it’s long been known LJ demands to control the DL and even has them on their own calls separate from the back 7

[@billgolden4029]

As the old saying goes “it’s not the X’s and the O’s but the Jimmy’s and the Joe’s “

[@samscheidegger8925]

It actually is the X’s and O’s in these match up games.

[@KingBronkoWalterWhiteStyle]

That’s like quite literally what the video isn’t demonstrating

[@johnthoreson8775]

I lived watching you guys, as a Duck fan of more than 35 years. I love Chip. I know well meet again. Be super until then.

[@Yoooowesshum]

Awesome show! TY

[@thomasorzack5795]

OSU played ateam with a PULSE

[@tonyr1950]

I keep hearing problems with schemes and concepts. That sounds like Jim Knowles. Is Knowles too stubborn to change things up?

[@ericschultz2815]

Do we get burnt EVERYTIME we go Cover Zero??

[@JF6388]

Good to hear someone else reiterate the amount of digs/deep in breakers that cross our safeties faces is piling up. Would like to see Ransom jump in front of one here soon. I guess if pass rush got home more often, secondary would?

[@bucknado9748]

Good show

[@RKA91]

Thanks guys🎉GO BUCKS😤💯

[@ralphpeck6927]

the problem is he is trying to scheme up pressure and only sending 4 while playing man with no deep help which leaves 2 guys underneath jacking each other off. why does he seem to have a problem sending 5 or heaven forbid 6 if your playing 0, or maybe even covber2 man under?

[@shewr4664]

Give the Ducks their flowers congratulations.. but don’t write off the Bucks yet… it’s a lot harder for Oregon to stay at the top than it is for Ohio State to move up

[@NicoletteEmmerson]

The defense has real problems

[@LTCJWE]

I thought this was a very well presented analysis of some of the schemes OSU Defense was running w explanations as to why several were complete failures. I get the sense some of these were designed esp for this game & players maybe not familiar with scheme responsibility. Hard to know whether LJohnson or Knowles calling these. Definitely expect more out of a defense with as many seniors, experienced return guys as OSU has. Whatever. Bottom line this was some good commentary and analysis.

[@MegaSlowe]

Seems like Kerry Coombs all over again. They just rely on athleticism. No adjustments at all. But this never works against teams with elite talent.

[@MyAcsm]

The defense under Day's tenure has been basic. I don't think it is going to change unless he is removed.

[@jimmy5634]

Day doesn’t call the defense, Knowles does.

[@ivanmadaris3671]

@@jimmy5634 Day is the head coach.

[@DSelwyn21]

Three years into the Knowles defense and so many veteran players are still fundamentally unsound and poor tacklers. And what is poor tackling ? It is simply a lack of toughness. These guys keep saying "Natty or bust" but I think they're just saying that as a substitute for shutting their mouths and grinding. And what do you do about Knowles' unsound schemes? There's nothing you can do about that until this season is over. Pretty depressing, but then again, reality usually is despite our need to pretend otherwise to maintain our sanity.

[@alanrobinson9021]

Saban Rule 1 of defense - First man to the ball carrier makes the tackle

[@DougSheppardSr]

This reminds me of a time when the scheme was too complicated and they brought in Fred Pagac and then he simplified the scheme to an attacking defense. That was when the silver bullets were born.

[@matthewmiller5194]

Its been sad our Dbs year after year get BURNT we have to do better

[@phillamoore157]

Marshall told us EXACTLY who our secondary is, and that problem was never fixed. If this defense can’t. Get their s**t together after the experience a lot of them have, then I’m not buying that this will get any better. I’ve been watching college football for 40+yrs, and I’ve never seen 4 linemen drop back into coverage like that. *This defense is flat out broken. And, on top of being broken, they’re excruciatingly predictable. Don’t know exactly why, or who all is responsible, but you have to put a good portion of this on the players, as well. The tackling was absolutely pathetic. Watching this Ohio State team, and thinking they can compete for a nattie, is like thinking that we can vote our way out of how broken this country is. God-willing Trump wins, but a ballot can’t fix the bone-deep levels of stupid, hypocrisy, morally-corrupt, self-loathing, hatred for America we have (and that’s not saying a word about the illegal immigrants). But, I digress. That $20million Day dropped in the off-season I think made this team worse.

[@NicoletteEmmerson]

No sax ts is not a OSU defensive

[@t66215]

Does this mean Larry Johnson in the problem?

[@tonyr1950]

LJ doesn’t craft the defensive schemes and concepts. That’s JK..

[@DCDH7007]

@@tonyr1950LJ doesn’t but are him and JK aligned? JK defense got more pressure at ok st than it does here. Only voice on the defense sr enough to over rule JK is LJ. I just wonder.

[@t66215]

@@tonyr1950 Not totally, it seems. JK apparently can't, for example, implement his "Jack" position because LJ insists on having 4 down defensive linemen on every play, which Ross alluded to in the video

[@erictolivertoliver505]

This not all on Johnson there is enough blame to go around

[@jimmy5634]

Stop blaming Larry Johnson all you clowns. He doesn’t scheme the defense.

[@kentacohut3011]

Downs whiffed bad very uncharacteristic of him at 19 min mark

[@theroughdaddy2595]

Go ducks 🦆🦆🦆🦆

[@444chroma]

Paper tiger.