Heading into the 2022 season, all eyes are focused on Ohio State's defense after the 2021 group struggled to do just about anything consistently well, resulting in the Buckeyes failing to win the Big Ten for the first time since 2016 and missing the College Football Playoff for the first time since the 2018 season.
All three levels of the defense were to blame and head coach Ryan Day wasted little time blowing up the staff, bringing in Jim Knowles to coordinate the group while adding fresh assistants in Perry Eliano and Tim Walton to replace former defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs, secondary coach (and interim coordinator) Matt Barnes and linebackers coach Al Washington.