Ohio State Football: 3 bold predictions vs. Indiana in 2023 opener

3. The Ohio State defense finishes with six-plus sacks

Ohio State’s inability to produce turnovers or create negative plays on the defensive side has been a very real issue the past three seasons.

The last time Ohio State had a disruptive defense was in 2019 when Chase Young was living in opponent’s backfield. When Young and Co. weren’t sacking the quarterback, they were getting enough pressure to cause the quarterback to feel rushed, which led to turnovers.

Junior defensive ends J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer are back. Both former five-star recruits are ready to have monster years. If they can combine to have similar production to what Young had in 2019 or what Joey Bosa had in 2015, then there is no reason why the Buckeyes can’t be more competitive at the end of the season.

The coaching staff is also high on second year defensive linemen Kenyatta Jackson and Caden Curry. Then you have the big guys in the middle of the defensive line like Michael Hall Jr., Tyleik Williams, Ty Hamilton, and transfer Tywone Malone.

With all that talent on the defensive line, along with the creativity of Jim Knowles who could send a blitz from multiple positions and multiple angles, there is no reason why the Buckeyes shouldn’t make life difficult for Indiana’s new starting quarterback. I predict sackapolooza on Saturday in Bloomington for the Buckeyes.