Ohio State Football: 5 reasons Buckeyes will win 2017 national title

3. The Ohio State defense is a scary, experienced group

One unit that teams should worry about this upcoming is the Ohio State Buckeyes’ defense. The defense returns seven starters and the front-seven are a strong bunch to look out for.

The Buckeyes return tons of experience on the defensive line. Led by defensive ends Sam Hubbard and Tyquan Lewis, Ohio State will be a tough team to play against this season. Hubbard and Lewis combined for 19.0 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks last season. With more reps and experience, they should be one of the stronger units in college football.

Dre’Mont Jones and Robert Landers are two true sophomores who have also shown promise on the Buckeyes interior line. Jones had 51 tackles and 4.0 tackles for loss stepping in as a starter in 2016. Landers finished with 16 tackles and 8.0 tackles for loss.

Related Story: Ohio State Football: Game-by-game predictions for 2017

Ohio State will need to replace corners Marshon Lattimore and Gareon Conley and safety Malik Hooker but having cornerback Denzel Ward back is a good start. Ward had 23 tackles and nine pass breakups in limited action. In a bigger role, he should have a breakout season.

Another player to look out for is Dante Booker. Booker missed the 2016 season due to a knee injury he suffered in Week One. He returns in 2017 looking to pick up where he left off as the starting strongside linebacker.

The Ohio State Buckeyes defense allowed just 15.5 points per game on defense last season, third in the FBS. A bulk of that defense returns this season and will be on full display in 2017.