Ohio State CBs Jyaire Brown, Jakailin Johnson Step Up Against Wisconsin

Johnson, who played 83 defensive snaps in the first three weeks the season while rotating with Brown and Burke, finished the game with four tackles while Brown, who had just 27 defensive snaps in the last two games, recorded one tackle and one pass break up.

“They stepped up big time,” fifth-year senior safety Tanner McCalister said. “Going into preparation, it’s kind of scary a little bit just because those guys haven’t played much, but they came in comfortable, willing to listen.

“I’m talking to them on the field and they’re trying to get checks, they’re listening. So, all of that was great and they stepped up big time and handled their business.”

Neither played a perfect game, as Johnson was beat on a deep pass at the end of the first half that could have been a 41-yard touchdown had McCalister not made a terrific play on the ball to force an incompletion.

Brown, meanwhile, was called for a questionable pass interference penalty earlier in the quarter that extended the Badgers’ first scoring drive.

Still, Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz finished the game with 94 yards and one touchdown pass, giving the Buckeyes confidence in the two young quarterbacks as Brown (undisclosed) and Burke (hand) heal up from injuries that Day said were not long-term concerns.

“We definitely got depth back there,” McCalister said. “We all want to be healthy so everybody can get a little piece of the fun, so that’s what we’re working on right now. But that goes to show that anybody back there can really step in and make plays.

“I think that’s what’s been shown in the past couple of weeks that all of us can be interchangeable and really go out there and fly around and make plays.”

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