Washington offensive coordinator impressed with Ohio State’s athleticism on defense

What does Washington offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan see when he flips on film of Ohio State’s defense?

“I think their athleticism, top to bottom,” Hamdan said Thursday at a press conference to preview the Huskies’ matchup against the Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl on Tuesday.

“Their front seven. Got elite pass rushers, which is expected in a game like this. And so top to bottom, their athleticism is tremendous.”

MORE ROSE BOWL COVERAGE: Buckeyes arrive in CaliforniaGreg Schiano on his futureCan defense find itself? 

While the results have left something to be desired, Ohio State still has talent on that side of the ball, and Hamdan would not be surprised to see the Buckeyes look better after a month off to work on some of the problems that led them to be one of the worst teams in the country (124th) in IsoPPP+, a Football Outsiders advanced metric that measures explosiveness.

“I think (time off) for everybody gives you a second to take a deep breath, analyze what you've been doing,” Hamdan said. "Sometimes those weeks (in the season) go so fast that you need to do some self-scout, if you will, on your own offense or defense. And I think everybody will be better for that.”

About the Author