What Three Things Did Ohio State Need To Do To Prevent Explosive Plays?

Ohio State safeties coach Perry Eliano detailed what the Buckeyes secondary needed to do to limit the opponent's explosive plays.

In the two biggest games of the Ohio State Buckeyes season last year, their secondary was shredded by explosive plays.

Safeties coach Perry Eliano highlighted three areas where the Buckeyes needed to improve to limit those plays moving forward.

“I think it comes down to fundamentals, technique and execution," Eliano said. "As simple as that sounds, it comes down to those three things and really, truthfully, you watch it, you address it and then you attack it when you get on the field."

Against the Michigan Wolverines Nov. 26, 2022, four pass plays went for 222 yards — three went for touchdowns and the other set up a field goal which turned out to be the difference in Ohio State winning and it losing "The Game" for the second year in a row.

Then in the Peach Bowl against Georgia, a crucial turning point in the fourth quarter came on a 76-yard pitch-and-catch from Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett to wide receiver Arian Smith to make it just a three-point ballgame. On the play, Buckeyes safety Lathan Ransom stumbled as Smith ran free to the end zone.

Eliano said it was "frustrating" knowing that fundamentals, technique and execution were the three factors in what led to the explosive plays.

The Buckeyes safeties coach of one year said the players "weren't put into any situations that they hadn't been put in in the past" and "have made those plays several times."

Eliano said "the bottom line" is he has to coach the secondary better and the players need to execute better.

"The one thing we won’t ever do, we won’t make excuses. We didn’t execute the way we needed to. Period. Point blank," Eliano said. "You can kind of go back and say, ‘Well this, well that.’ No, we didn’t do that. I didn’t prepare them well enough. They didn’t execute well enough, and that’s why we’re here this spring, this offseason grinding because we should’ve been there and we should’ve made those plays."

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