What Ohio State’s defense showed us against Ball State

Counting defenders! On the rotations and subpackages the Buckeyes showed, and a freshman who popped.

Sep 05, 2026

∙ Paid

Senior defensive end Kenyatta Jackson (2) got the Buckeyes fired up before the game. (Photo courtesy of Ohio State football)

COLUMBUS — Thoughts on what we saw from Ohio State’s defense in the Buckeyes’ Week 1 win over Ball State.

• Time to count some defenders. The Buckeyes played 21 guys in the course of their normal defense, even more than the 19 I was hoping for.

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