Caleb Downs Says Ohio State Could Have "One Of The Most Elite Defenses To Ever Play The Game" Before Having Taken A Snap For The Buckeyes

Listen I like Ohio State's team this year as much as, if not substantially more than the next guy. The entire defense, and honestly the entire team minus Kyle McCord and Marvin Harrison Jr, came together and said fuck, we've not only let the Rivalry turn the other tide, we've also let Michigan win a National Championship on our watch. We need to fix this or our legacies will be tarnished forever, so they all came back. And then we added the best transfer portal haul in the country:

So yeah, I think we're the heavy favorite to win not just the Big Ten but the National Championship in general. But that's me talking as a fan. The fact of the matter is that we haven't actually won anything other than the Offseason Championship, which is a mythical title that ends up being the butt of a joke unless you follow through and win the whole damn thing. So while I feel like I can hype up this team, I'd rather our players stick to the truth: we haven't won anything yet. Caleb Downs apparently subscribes to a different belief though as he is already saying this could be one of the most elite defenses EVER. Reminder: we've played zero snaps so far. But here's who we're in the discussion with:

1939 Tennessee Volunteers: 10 shutouts, 1.3 points per game

2001 Miami Hurricanes: 3 shutouts, 9.8 points per game, 270 yards per game

2011 Alabama Crimson Tide: 3 shutouts, 8.2 points per game, 183 yards per game

1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers: 3 shutouts, 8 points per game, 209 yards per game

and the 2024 Ohio State Buckeyes: 0 shutouts.....but 0 points per game and 0 yards per game (only 12-16 games remaining)

Not a bad group! And listen, I do think Jack Sawyer and JTT could be the best pair of Defensive Ends in the country. And I do think our DBs SHOULD be the very best unit in the country. And I do think Sonny Styles is going to be a fucking monster linebacker now that he's made the switch. But all of this is on potential and hype....something we haven't lacked in the last 3 years. But this year we need something we haven't gotten in the last 3 years. And having overconfident players that haven't proven anything yet does have me a bit nervous. I want hungry dogs, not ones full of rat poison.