43
Ohio State defense committed to being better
Photo
Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier, left, tackles running back Bri’onte Dunn at practice. There is a nagging feeling clinging to the Buckeye defenders that they somehow let everyone down last season. So this season, they feel they owe everyone — the team, the fans, and college football in general — a little bit of payback.
Associated Press
Columbus
There is a nagging feeling clinging to Ohio State’s defenders that they somehow let everyone down a year ago.
“No, we can never forget (last year), because we’re going to use that as a building block to help us work on this year,” linebacker Ryan Shazier said. “I never want to be a part of another team like that. We had the worst record in Ohio State history, or tied for it.
“I don’t want that to ever happen again.”
He’s not alone.
The part about the worst record isn’t accurate, of course, but the Buckeyes’ 6-7 mark must have felt like a winless season to players accustomed to playing for championships.
Sure, the offense had its problems and the special teams might not have been sterling during a tumultuous season off and on the field.
Yet to a man, the Buckeyes defense feels as if it owes everybody else on the team, the fans and the college football world a little bit of payback for not being able to stop teams on third down and for permitting 21 points a game.
With most of the unit back — led by Cardinal Mooney product John Simon up front and several mainstays behind him — they’re committed to getting back to the way things used to be, when they were among the best in the land. To regain that stature, new coach Urban Meyer has put defense first.
In the book of Urban, chapter 1, verse 1, it is written: “We have a plan to win. Four things: Play great defense, win the turnover battle, score in the red zone and have a strong kicking game.”
Nowhere in Meyer’s plan does he mention the word offense, although his new techno mix of a spread formation at breakneck speed has garnered most of the headlines around his initial Buckeyes team. Meyer, who grew up an Ohio State fan and was weaned on Woody Hayes’ philosophy, knows that the great Buckeyes teams of the past sported rock-hard defenses.
For instance, in the elemental statistic of points allowed, the Buckeyes ranked in the top six in the country every year from 2005 through 2010 — before slipping to 27th a year ago. Opponents converted 4 of every 10 third-down plays, a huge increase from the previous two years when it was around 3 of 10.
“We put those stats up in front of our guys the other day to say, ‘Hey, this is what the expectation is here at Ohio State,”’ said Luke Fickell, the interim head coach a year ago who has returned to his job as defensive co-coordinator. “You came here for a reason. Here’s where we’ve been the last 10 years defensively. So that’s the standard you’re held to.”
The line, as it should, anchors this year’s unit. Simon, who had 16 tackles for negative yardage last season including seven sacks, is joined by enforcers Johnathan “Big Hank” Hankins, Garrett Goebel and Michael Bennett up front.
Hankins said the emphasis this year is more on forcing the issue and being aggressive.
“We’ll definitely be in the backfield more often,” he said with a wicked grin.
Cornerback Travis Howard shakes his head at the mayhem that takes place in front of him in practice.
“This defense is one of a kind,” the senior said. “Our defensive line is probably one of the best I’ve seen since I’ve been at Ohio State.”
Gone at linebacker is second-leading tackler Andrew Sweat, but starters Etienne Sabino and Shazier are back along with promising middle linebacker Curtis Grant.
“We haven’t played anybody yet, so it’s hard to judge,” Sabino said. “But I feel very good about this defense and have all the confidence in the world.”
Freshmen will likely play major roles throughout the front seven. Acclaimed recruits Noah Spence, Adolphus Washington and Tommy Schutt on the line and David Perkins, Camren Williams and Joshua Perry at linebacker are listed on the second team.