Ohio State's defense leads college football with top stop rate for 2024 season

Ohio State's defense, led by Jim Knowles, achieved the top stop rate in college football for the 2024 season at 78.5%. This metric measures how often a defense prevents opponents from scoring on drives, with Ohio State excelling during a challenging schedule. Texas and Tennessee followed Ohio State in the rankings, with stop rates of 76.9% and 76.8%, respectively. Notably, Ohio State's defense improved each year under Knowles, finishing first after ranking second and twelfth in previous seasons. Several defensive coordinators from top-ranked teams have changed jobs this offseason. James Madison had the best stop rate among Group of 5 teams at 72.9%. Kent State recorded the lowest stop rate at 39.4% during a winless season.