COLUMBUS, Ohio – Against one of the best running backs in the country, Ohio State’s defense did not budge en route to a dominant 38-7 victory over Wisconsin.

Wisconsin came into the game with the top-ranked defense in the country, but it was the defense wearing scarlet and gray that looked like the more dominant unit. The Buckeyes were tasked with containing Jonathan Taylor, and they responded by shutting him down.

Let’s take a look at how each unit graded out in the eighth 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.

Jack Coan may have nightmares about No. 2 coming off the edge after Chase Young was able to sack Coan four times on Saturday. Not only was this a school record for sacks in a game, but Young was also able to turn two of these sacks into fumbles recovered by Ohio State. On the day, Young would have five of the team’s eight tackles for loss.

While it was Young who stole the show, the rest of the defense line performed extremely well against the offensive front of Wisconsin. Davon Hamilton was able to muscle his way for a sack, the first of the season for Hamilton. Hamilton and Tommy Togiai would each tally three tackles for the Buckeyes, who held Wisconsin’s running game to only 2.4 yards a carry.

The Ohio State defensive line has overpowered every opponent so far this season, and while the Badgers looked like a formidable matchup, the frontline of Ohio State’s defense dominated once again.

Taylor came into the game dissecting defenses, and he had scored in all seven of the games prior to Ohio State. Not only did Ohio State keep Taylor out of the endzone, but they held him to his fewest rushing yards this season (52 yards).

The work of the linebackers was a big reason that Taylor and Wisconsin could not find running lanes throughout the game. In fact, Wisconsin had only three rushes of 10 or more yards due to the sound tackling and gap discipline.

Pete Werner led the unit with six tackles, and he highlighted his day with a fumble recovery returned 31 yards. Tuf Borland and Malik Harrison each grabbed four tackles, but it was the big tackle for loss by Justin Hilliard that set the tone for the rest of the game. The 83 rushing yards by Wisconsin was the fewest since its loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship game in 2017 (60 yards).

The secondary had a very quiet day, but that is not always the worst thing. There were only two chunk plays that Wisconsin was able to pull off in the passing game, and while one of them went for a touchdown, the group was overall very sound.

There were no interceptions from the secondary this week, but they played a key role in tackling and limiting the creation of explosive plays. Damon Arnette led the team with seven tackles, including a tackle for loss in which he chopped down Taylor behind the line of scrimmage. Jordan Fuller was able to make four tackles on the day, two of which were against Taylor.

The secondary’s commitment to tackling is what stood out the most in the game against Wisconsin. The group showed they could play physical against the Badgers, while also playing solid coverage. The Buckeyes will continue to need this versatility from the group in order to sustain their defensive dominance going forward.

With the nation watching, Ohio State was able to show that they have a legitimate defense that can lock down anyone in the country. The improved tackling and discipline that had been showcased throughout the first seven games translated to a tougher opponent in Wisconsin.

Ohio State will not face a running back better than Taylor, so the bar has been set for this group to continue shutting down opponents’ rushing attacks. The chemistry of the unit seems to be strong, and all 11 players appear to always be in the right place at the right time.

The Buckeyes will come off their open week and play Maryland and Rutgers before turning their attention to the big matchup with Penn State. The defense must continue playing with the same edge and discipline the next few weeks in order to avoid building bad habits before the game that will likely decide the Big Ten East.