Going into the 2023 season, Tim Walton had reason to ponder whether Ohio State’s secondary really deserved to call itself the Best In America.
Ohio State’s defensive backs have proudly used “BIA” as a moniker for the past decade, but the Buckeyes’ secondary play was far from that standard from 2020-22. Ohio State finished 122nd in the FBS in passing yards allowed per game in 2020, 96th in 2021 and 26th in 2022. So, while the Buckeyes’ secondary improved in Walton’s first year on the job in 2022, he knew the BIA standard was something Ohio State had to earn back this past season.