COLUMBUS, Ohio -- While Indiana quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was able to pass for the fourth-most yards allowed by Ohio State in program history, he did so while under consistent pressure.

In fact, two Buckeyes defensive lineman recorded two of the top-three most quarterback pressures in all of college football last weekend, according to Pro Football Focus College.

Ohio State's defense has allowed the third-fewest total yards in the Big Ten with 1,558, and 74.7% of those have come through the air.

While it does stand as a double-edged sword in that it could be viewed as 'the run defense is outstanding,' as the Buckeyes have allowed the second-fewest rushing yards per game in the Big Ten with 98.5, or the 'pass-rush is lacking.'

"I think they’re getting a lot of hits, a lot of hurries, some knockdowns," head coach Ryan Day said. "They are pushing the pocket and getting pretty good push in there. I think they’re doing a decent job of putting pressure on the quarterback, for sure.”

Pressure and hurries can be difficult to identify, especially if a play is schemed up for a quarterback to be mobile in the pocket or the offensive line moves differently on a play.

Defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs said the Buckeyes had 28 pressures and 10 knockdowns against the Hoosiers last Saturday.

“I think we’re getting very good pressure," Coombs said. "We’d like for those things to finish in more sacks. I thought their quarterback did a really nice job standing in there and getting rid of the ball just before sacks, under a lot of pressure. He was an accurate throwing in those situations.

"I think we’ve got a lot of guys that can rush the passer."

The Buckeyes have recorded a total of 11 sacks through their four games, with defensive tackle Tommy Togiai leading the way with three and Jonathon Cooper (1.5), Haskell Garrett, Zach Harrison and Javontae Jean-Baptiste behind him as members of the defensive line.

However, eight of those sacks came in the season's first two games. The Buckeyes have recorded just three sacks in their last two games, with Cooper being the only defensive lineman to record one. The linebackers have accounted for the other two.

“We want to get there, we want to get the sack," Cooper said. "After a game, the stats don’t really show what we were doing all game."

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Three players along the Buckeyes defensive line were also credited with three pass-break-ups against Indiana. Despite being disruptive, the D-line didn't bring Penix Jr. to the ground.

“We have to figure out how to get home faster," Cooper said. "I tell my guys, ‘Keep going. He’s going to break, he’s going to hold onto the ball one time one of these times. Keep rushing.’ We just have to keep doing that no matter what goes on throughout the game.”

Cooper was adamant that statistics don't tell the full story when it comes to evaluating the work of the defensive line.

Day held similar beliefs, and said he trusts Larry Johnson as Ohio State has taken a four-down approach in recruiting in order to carry out their pass-rush schemes.

"That was part of the discussion a couple years ago when we took a look at this defense," Day said. "We wanted to keep that four-down scheme so we could get a pass-rush with the four guys. Larry’s done such a great job that we’ve been able to get a rush from those four-down guys for a long time. That’s who we count on, we have for a long time here."

In order to finish plays and improve the pass-rush even more so not just on the stat sheet but on the field, the Buckeyes must remain persistent as Cooper said it would have a "huge impact" on the defense

Day added that the Buckeyes must be "opportunistic" with blitzes in order to keep opposing offensive lines and quarterbacks honest. All the while, Day said avoiding the "big plays" is the No. 1 thing on defense.

"I’m sure they all want to keep getting sacks and getting production. Certainly we all want to do better, we want to get some sacks. We’d love to see that, that’s a huge deal. It’s such an energy boost for our team."

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On the schedule for Ohio State, Illinois' run game has rushed for the second-most yards per game in the conference with 222.4, behind the Buckeyes (233.3). The Fighting Illini are last in the Big Ten in passing yards per game with 159.4.

No matter what the statistics say, though, Cooper and the Ohio State defensive line provide more as they continue to keep their heads down and go from the snap.

"I feel like people aren’t really seeing the type of defensive line we have that are rushing extremely well because of the stats," Cooper said. "I couldn’t be more prouder of my guys. We just have to keep going.”