{
  "id": 20009431,
  "title": "Kirk Herbstreit says Ohio State's defense showing 'immaturity'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/14/kirk-herbstreit-says-ohio-states-defense-showing-immaturity",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-14T16:21:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/kirk-herbstreit-says-ohio-states-162116660.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "College football analyst Kirk Herbstreit, a former Ohio State quarterback, has identified a potential issue with the Buckeyes' defense following their two-game losing streak. In an interview on ESPN's College Gameday, Herbstreit noted that the lack of leadership has become evident on the defensive side of the field. He stressed that the difference in Ohio State's performance isn't due to a lack of talent, but rather the absence of strong leadership from defensive coordinator Matt Patricia's unit. Herbstreit mentioned that while the team has replaced top players like Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles, and Arvelle Reese with other high-rated recruits, the loss of leadership has led to vulnerabilities. He explained that once leadership is removed from the equation, cracks appear in the defense. Despite Ohio State having four defensive players selected in the first 36 picks of the 2026 NFL Draft, the team has conceded numerous big plays in their last two losses to Oregon and USC. Against Oregon, Ohio State permitted four plays measuring over 20 yards. After taking an early 14-0 lead, Oregon went on to score 38 consecutive points, dominating the game 41-28. This has resulted in the Buckeyes suffering three losses in the regular season for the first time since 2011.",
  "summary": "Kirk Herbstreit says Ohio State's defensive struggles stem from a lack of leadership rather than a lack of talent.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}