'Star-Studded Pieces!' CFB Analyst Likes Buckeyes' Defense as Best in the Country

Former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback and current college football analyst, Greg McElroy, believes the defense is still the dominant side of the ball in Columbus, and selected the Buckeyes as the best defense in the country.

Dec 3, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide former quarterback Greg McElroy on the sidelines during the fourth quarter of the SEC Championship college football game against the Florida Gators at Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The Ohio State Buckeyes have long been known for their defensive dominance. But lately, the wide receiver unit on the offensive side of the ball has taken over as the identity, as the program has dumped numerous first-round draft picks into the NFL.

But former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback and current college football analyst, Greg McElroy, believes the defense is still the dominant side of the ball in Columbus, and selected the Buckeyes as the best defense in the country.

"I'm going with the Ohio State Buckeyes," McElroy said on the Always College Football podcast. "The best-returning defender for them is Denzel Burke, but the best defender overall is Caleb Downs. They also have good, solid defensive ends now. I'm not going to sit here and put Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau in the Hall of Fame right now. I think they're really solid; I think they're excellent players... I'd like to see more out of them.

"If you look at what they've added, I think at the second level and third level defensively, they should be in really good shape. Plus, it's Year 3 under Jim Knowles. They are really solid from a depth standpoint, from a personnel standpoint, and they have star-studded pieces on the perimeter, which I think is going to be where it starts when playing against the best teams."

With the changes to Michigan's roster and the re-tooling of college football in general, as well as the expansion of the College Football Playoff to 12 teams, Ohio State has a great opportunity to re-establish itself as the toast of not just the Big Ten, but all of college football.