COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State defense answered the bell once again in the 34-10 victory over Michigan State.

For the sixth time this season, the Buckeyes were able to hold their opponent to under 300 yards of total offense. Outside of a two-drive stretch where the Spartans were able to produce all 10 of their points, the Ohio State defense was able to stand tall and shut out Michigan State in the last 38 minutes of the game.

Let’s take a look at how each unit graded out in the second game of the year. The grades will compare the Buckeyes to the rest of college football, so a C grade is average, but a prestigious team like Ohio State has set a higher bar than being average.

The defensive line was crucial in clogging up running lanes and limiting the rushing attack of the Spartans. Michigan State was only able to run for 67 yards on 27 attempts against Ohio State.

Jashon Cornell was able to record the only solo sack on the day for the Ohio State defensive line. Cornell played a pivotal role in sealing up the interior part of the line, accounting for four tackles on the day.

Chase Young, although quiet for his usual standard, put up a solid performance once again. He would tally half a sack and a tackle-for-loss to go along with his four tackles. Young now has 8.5 sacks on the season.

While the line did not have a game-changing play, they were able to have a steady performance that proved too much for Michigan State.

The linebackers had another impressive performance in which the stars of the unit shined.

Tuf Borland had a season-high five tackles on the evening. He led the unit in tackles, and he was able to add a tackle-for-loss to his stat line. Pete Werner was also able to add four tackles.

Baron Browning arguably had the most impactful game at linebacker, however. While he only accounted for two tackles on the game, one of them came off a blitz that resulted in a sack. Browning was also able to deflect the pass that would be intercepted by Jordan Fuller.

The linebackers were able to put their stamp on this game, and their speed and discipline helped limit the rushing attack of Michigan State.

There were times where the secondary seemed to get beat against Michigan State, but the unit’s overall performance deserved an A- rating. They were able to create timely turnovers and limit Brian Lewerke to a completion percentage of 52.6 percent.

Damon Arnette got the night started for Ohio State when he was able to strip the ball from Cody White to set the Ohio State offense up for a field goal attempt in the opening minutes of the game. Arnette would also add three tackles to a performance in which he only played a half.

Shaun Wade had an eventful night, as well. He was able record five tackles, a pass breakup and a sack. The only interception thrown by Lewerke was picked off by Fuller, his second in the last two games.

The defense continued to be a staple for the 2019 Buckeyes. They were able to hold Michigan State at bay until the Ohio State offense was able to figure out the Michigan State defense.

While there is room for improvement, the defense would sign up for a performance like that against almost any opponent. The ability to take away the running game will serve them well going forward, and the takeaways continue to change momentum in favor of Ohio State.