RUSTY MILLER
AP Sports Writer

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Urban Meyer wasn’t just unhappy with his pass defense after last season.

So upset was he by a feeble series of performances that he destroyed it, hired a new coach to oversee what was left and then they rebuilt it from the ground up.

As a result, there are a lot of people watching the backfield as No. 5 Ohio State goes through its paces in preparation for the Aug. 30 opener against Navy in Baltimore.

New co-defensive coordinator Chris Ash is praising the commitment and work ethic of a secondary that will rely on man-to-man coverage this year. He likes the depth at cornerback and the hitters he has at safety.

He also believes the dramatic changes will add up to dramatic improvement.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.