Ohio State Buckeyes

Former Spartans DC: Ohio State 'stole our defense,' won title

Published Aug. 24, 2015 11:14 a.m. ET

foxsports

Michigan State has boasted one of the best defenses in college football over the past few years, and former defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi, who has since been hired as Pittsburgh’s new head coach, is a major reason why.

Apparently, he thinks that others have noticed, too.

Narduzzi went on "The Griff & Grinz Show" in Lansing and told listeners that Ohio State, among other programs, “stole” his defense, which aims to shut down the opponent’s ground game and force them to beat them through the air.

Via coachingsearch.com:

“Ohio State’s facing the same problem (against offenses), because they stole our defense, too,” Narduzzi told The Griff & Grinz Show in Lansing. “There’s a lot of teams throughout the country. You go watch them, they’re exactly us, whether they admit it or not.

“They’re exactly us, and they weren’t before. They won a national championship with the defense.”

This certainly isn’t a new concept -- coaches at all levels look at film of other programs and make adjustments to mimic what’s working. But it is interesting that Narduzzi is using the word “stole” here.

If you’re interested in listening to the interview, it’s still up on the radio show’s site. The relevant discussion starts around the eight-minute mark.

More from College Spun: