SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Ohio State’s defense had been laid to waste by Clemson in the 2014 Orange Bowl, the last in a series of lousy performances by the Buckeyes that caused a promising season to end with a thud. Coach Urban Meyer had seen enough. He ordered defensive coordinator Luke Fickell to blow up everything and start anew. “His mindset was: I want to be aggressive. I want to challenge, challenge, challenge,” Fickell said Wednesday. The result was a defense built around a scheme called press quarters, a zone coverage that cuts the field into four parts but plays a lot like man-to-man and relies heavily on defensive backs to win head-to-head matchups with receivers. Since then the Buckeyes’ defense has improved every season. When No. 2 Ohio State (11-1, No. 3 CFP) faces No. 3 Clemson (12-1, CFP No. 2) in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal on Saturday at University…
Continue Reading: Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State can thank Clemson for defensive overhaul
