LINEBACKER Wilhelmcenter of OSU defense

He led the team in tackles and tackles for losses this season.
PHOENIX (AP) -- Mention Ohio State linebacker Matt Wilhelm's name, and not everyone on top-ranked Miami responds right away.
Pop in a video of Wilhelm in action, and the Hurricanes immediately recognize the All-American's moves.
Asked about Wilhelm, Miami center Brett Romberg wasn't quite certain what to say.
"He's the three-technique? No? He's the middle linebacker? Oh. I don't even know him. I'm sorry, man. I just see different-colored jerseys and numbers," Romberg said.
After Wilhelm was described to him, Romberg remembered seeing the defender on game tapes.
"He's a big dude, right? He's bigger than our right guard, for crying out loud. He's going to make my head sore all night long, I can imagine. He's going to come downhill a lot," Romberg said.
"He's aggressive. I don't know how he is covering the pass, but I know he's a good run-stopper. I'm sure we'll meet a few times in the game and exchange a few words and then we'll go on about our way, I guess."
Not much of trash talker
Actually, the 6-foot-5, 245-pound Wilhelm probably won't do a lot of talking on the field Friday night, when Miami and No. 2 Ohio State meet in the Fiesta Bowl for the national championship.
He is not prone to talking trash. What he does do is prepare for a game, spending hours and hours watching tapes to learn the nuances of an opponent's offense.
Wilhelm figures the Buckeyes will fare better than the oddsmakers predicted by making Miami a two-touchdown favorite.
"Everyone wants the blowout -- teams winning by 35 or 40 points to be national champions," Wilhelm said. "We're a team that's survived a lot of close calls. But it also speaks to the type of team we are. We are resilient. We find a way to win. No matter what adversity we face throughout the game, we overcome it."
Last season, he tore ligaments in his right ankle, an injury that robbed him of his aggressiveness. Some teammates wondered what to expect from him this year.
"The question was: Is he going to come out and be tentative and sheepish or is he going to come out like a lion?" free safety Donnie Nickey said.
Had surgery last January
Wilhelm had surgery in January, and even though he was unable to practice in the spring, he studied films, lifted weights and remained in topflight condition.
By the time the Buckeyes met for preseason camp in the summer, Wilhelm was No. 2 on the depth chart behind Fred Pagac Jr. He wasn't angry that the coaching staff demoted him.
"It was just a matter of time for me," Wilhelm said. "I knew the time would come."
During the first scrimmage in Ohio Stadium, Wilhelm went 50 snaps on defense and made 16 tackles.
"The coaches were like, 'OK, he's back. He's getting his spot back,' " he said. "I felt free out there. It's something I had as a sophomore. I was able to run sideline to sideline without any hindrance. I had worked on the system through my head because I wasn't able to go out and practice it for so long and it was easy for me to see things."
He led the team with 111 tackles, including 16 1/2 for losses and three sacks. He was the Big Ten's defensive player of the year.
"I always thought he was good, but he went beyond that this year," Coach Jim Tressel said.
Smart player
Defensive coordinator Mark Dantonio added, "He's a very, very smart football player. He makes a lot of calls out there, he's rangy, he makes a lot of tackles. He's the center of our defense."
And Wilhelm is confident the Hurricanes will be familiar with him and his teammates when the Fiesta Bowl is over.
"We're one win away from being the national champion -- and people are still going to talk," he said. "But we're going to be the ones walking around with rings on our fingers."