Ohio State Isn’t Panicking Over Devin Sanchez’s Penalty Streak as Buckeyes Work to Fix Pass-Interference Issues
Ohio State cornerback Devin Sanchez has found himself at the center of an unusual stretch over the past two games, with four pass-interference penalties putting his coverage technique under a brighter spotlight.
For a defensive back playing in a program where every snap is scrutinized, four flags in two games can quickly become a storyline of its own. But inside Ohio State, the response has been measured rather than alarmed.
The Buckeyes are not treating Sanchez’s recent penalty problems as evidence that his overall game has gone off track. Instead, the focus is on identifying why the flags are happening and making the technical adjustments necessary to prevent them from becoming a recurring issue.
That distinction matters.
Pass interference penalties can be particularly frustrating for a defense because they often erase otherwise successful coverage and extend drives. A cornerback can be in excellent position for most of a play, only to turn a manageable down into an automatic first down because of a mistimed hand placement, an early contact point or a failure to locate the football.
For Sanchez, the challenge now is finding the line between aggressive coverage and disciplined coverage.
Ohio State expects its cornerbacks to play with confidence. The position requires physicality, competitiveness and the ability to challenge receivers throughout a route. But that aggression has to remain within the rules, particularly when a defensive back is operating in tight coverage against talented opposing receivers.
Sanchez’s recent penalties have therefore become less about questioning his ability and more about correcting the details.
The goal is not to take the aggressiveness out of his game. It is to make sure that aggressiveness does not become costly.
That is where the coaching process becomes important.
Cornerback play is built on repetition. Defensive backs spend countless hours working on their feet, leverage, transitions, hand placement, eye discipline and ability to locate the football. When penalties begin appearing with regularity, coaches can go back through those individual details and determine whether the problem is mechanical, mental or simply a matter of timing.
For Sanchez, the solution will likely involve all three areas.
The first priority is maintaining proper position throughout the route. A corner who loses leverage can be forced into a difficult recovery, and those recovery situations are where defensive backs are most vulnerable to grabbing, pushing or making contact before the ball arrives.
The second is discipline with the hands.
There is a difference between using physicality to stay connected to a receiver and allowing that physicality to become illegal contact. At the college level, a defensive back must be able to stay attached without relying on contact that gives an official an obvious reason to throw the flag.
The third piece is playing the football.
When a cornerback locates the ball, he has a better opportunity to make a legitimate play rather than relying on his hands to disrupt the receiver. That is one of the most important transitions young defensive backs must make as they develop.
And that development is particularly important for Sanchez because expectations surrounding him are high.
Ohio State’s secondary has long operated under enormous pressure. The Buckeyes recruit elite defensive backs, develop them for the biggest stages in college football and expect them to perform against some of the best passing attacks in the country. A player in that room is judged not only by interceptions and pass breakups but also by his ability to avoid giving opponents free yardage.
That makes the recent penalty stretch worth monitoring, but it does not necessarily make it a crisis.
Four pass-interference flags over two games are enough to demand attention. They are not necessarily enough to change how Ohio State views Sanchez as a player.
The key for the Buckeyes will be what happens next.
If Sanchez responds by tightening his technique and eliminating the unnecessary contact, the recent penalties could ultimately become a valuable learning experience. Young defensive backs often have to learn through exactly these kinds of situations. Aggression is encouraged, but understanding how to control that aggression is part of becoming a complete player.
Ohio State can also use film study to identify patterns.
Are the penalties happening against particular routes? Are they occurring when Sanchez is trailing the receiver? Is he reaching because he is slightly out of position? Is he failing to turn his head at the right moment? Or are some of the flags simply the result of playing extremely tight coverage?
Those questions matter because the answer determines the correction.
If the problem is positioning, the emphasis becomes leverage and footwork. If it is hand usage, the coaching focus shifts toward playing through the receiver without grabbing. If it is ball awareness, Sanchez can spend more time working on locating the football while maintaining his coverage relationship.
The objective is precision.
Ohio State does not need Sanchez to become less competitive. It needs him to become more efficient with that competitiveness.
That is an important distinction for a defensive back.
The best corners are not necessarily the players who make the most contact. They are the players who consistently arrive in the right position, maintain leverage and force the quarterback to attempt difficult throws without giving the offense an easy escape route.
For Sanchez, the next step is demonstrating that he can do that while remaining aggressive.
The Buckeyes’ confidence in their young cornerback also reflects the reality of the position. Defensive backs will get beaten occasionally. They will be tested by quarterbacks and receivers. They will have penalties. What separates reliable starters from inconsistent players is how quickly they identify the problem and respond.
Ohio State now has an opportunity to see that response from Sanchez.
The recent flags have created a clear area for improvement. They have also provided the coaching staff with a tangible issue to address before it becomes a larger problem.
The worst outcome would be allowing frustration over the penalties to change Sanchez’s mindset. A corner who begins playing cautiously because he is afraid of another flag can create a different problem, losing the aggressiveness that makes him effective in the first place.
Ohio State’s challenge is finding the balance.
Sanchez must continue trusting his technique while becoming more disciplined in the moments that have produced penalties. The coaching staff must reinforce that message without allowing two difficult games to overshadow the larger evaluation of his development.
Ultimately, the four flags are a statistic that demands attention, not panic.
Ohio State has time to correct the issue, and Sanchez has an opportunity to turn the recent stretch into a lesson rather than a defining characteristic of his season.
The next few games will provide the clearest answer.
If the penalties disappear, the recent run will quickly become a footnote. If they continue, the pressure will increase and the Buckeyes will have to examine whether a deeper technical adjustment is necessary.
For now, though, Ohio State’s approach is straightforward: identify the mistakes, coach the details and trust Sanchez to respond.
The message is not to stop competing.
It is to compete smarter.
