Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: Position Battles (Part III)
Richard Tongohan via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
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With this matchup being approximately a week away the focus will be on the defensive position battles between Ohio State and USC. This matchup will feature Ohio State and their Top 10 defensive unit against a reinvigorated defense that has won 5 straight.
Defensive Line:
The Rushmen package that Coach Johnson has installed has worked tremendously well for the Silver Bullets. The combination of Bosa, Lewis, Holmes, and Hubbard will be used to solely to disrupt Sam Darnold and cause chaos. It has worked for most of the season, and why not go back to the well.
The depth and talent of the players on Ohio State’s bench are ridiculous, and most, if not all of them are starters at any other school in the nation. That is the best part about having such a coach like Coach Johnson on to mentor them.
In the interior, Sprinkle and Jones will start the game with Hill and Landers relieving them when they get tired, and they are a pretty talented group of individuals who could all wreak havoc on the trenches.
They are 20th in the nation in total sacks and 13th in team tackles for loss. They are averaging 2.85 sacks per game and 7.7 in total yards lost. USC needs to control the trenches to succeed in this matchup because if the floodgates open, it’ll be a long day for Darnold.
Rasheem Green was once an Ohio State target when he was coming out of high school, but things did not work out. Unlike Ohio State, who runs a 4-3, USC runs the opposite, a 3-4. Rasheem Green, Josh Fatu, and Christian Rector all start for the Trojans, and they all are space eaters in the trenches.
USC is 6th in the nation in team sacks edging out the Ohio State’s unit with 3.31 sacks per game. Running a different scheme has its advantages, but the Ohio State Offensive Linemen are one of the most talented groups that USC has faced, so it will have to be determined come gameday.
Linebackers:
Both teams have an embarrassment of riches at the LB positions. Ohio State has Baker, Borland, and Worley as starters, with Jones, Harrison, and Booker in the wings. Together, they make a formidable trio for defenses and they are the second level behind the Rushmen.
Baker is a potential first rounder that can do it all. In coverage, as a spy, even as a blitzer, he will do everything he can to make an impact. Worley and Borland play well at their new positions. Worley moved back outside while Borland took Worley’s spot in the middle, and it has worked out pretty good.
USC has quite a formidable combination at LB, and I think they are the reason why their defense has so many sacks. The USC linemen occupy blockers while the LB’s knife through to seek out the Quarterback.
Led by Iosefa and Smith, this unit is scary good and they could give the right side of the line fits. They are ranked as the 56th best team in the nation in tackles for loss, but I have a feeling that they will get to Barrett a lot this game due to the inconsistency of the right side, but I do not think it will be as bad as two years ago.
They will do enough to disrupt Barrett and his decision-making process, and they will most likely take the Buckeyes backs down a couple of times in the backfield. This matchup will be between NFL Linebackers prospects, who are trying to make it to the next level.
Defensive Backs:
Denzel Ward leads another talented group of DB’s at Ohio State, along with Damon Arnette and Kendall Sheffield at Cornerback. The definition of a shutdown corner in a long line produced by Coach Coombs, he will look to stop USC’s best playmaker on offense like he has done all season.
At Safety Damon Webb, a hard-hitting safety will patrol the top quarters along with Jordan Fuller to prevent the big plays downfield.
Collectively, BIA will be looking to prove once again that they are the Best In America by locking up USC, but Arnette and Sheffield must avoid the costly penalties that have been a problem for them this season to be successful.
Jack Jones, Iman Marshall, and Chris Hawkins lead the DB’s, and they will look to stop the Buckeye speed. A lot of teams outside of Oklahoma and Iowa were unsuccessful in preventing the speedy WR’s from getting behind them, but they have the talent in the secondary to do so.
Like Ohio State’s starters, they will be tasked to stop a talented offense and they have the skills and the talent to certainly do so, but it is easier said then done. Ohio State loves those crossing routes, but I feel like in order for this unit to succeed, they must stop Dobbins and Weber, and Barrett too from establishing a balance and establishing the run.
If they successfully make Ohio State one-dimensional, they will most likely have success. If not, I think it’ll be a long day.
Position Battles:
DL: Due to the different defensive schemes, this matchup is close. From a talent standpoint, I will give the edge to the Buckeyes, but the production edge goes to USC. The biggest factor will depend on which offensive line shows up. If 2016 Ohio State shows up, USC wins easily. If this seasons team does, Ohio State wins. I am counting on the 2017 team to show up so I will give the slight edge to Ohio State.
LB: Both units have a lot of talent that is starting and on the bench. With Ohio State, they have been good, but inconsistent. Baker tends to gamble and run himself out of position and Borland is good, but young. USC will blitz like crazy and they have a lot of former Buckeye targets on their roster that will show up in the game. With that, I declare this draw because there are too many variables that could swing either way.
DB: This matchup features NFL prospects on both sides. Ward is a lock in the 1st Round and everyone else is looking to get drafted. Ohio State suffers from inconsistency outside of Ward, and when Arnette and Sheffield struggle, the game is almost unwatchable. On USC’s side, Marshall and Marvell are looking to improve their draft position with a great performance against a Top 5 team and fellow conference champion. I will give the Buckeyes the slight edge.
Special Teams: I did not forget about this unit, but it will be an important part of the game in regards to the field position battle. Ohio State has improved a lot over the course of the season, but USC’s unit is better in my opinion. If USC can dominate this phase, they will be in line for an 8th straight win over the Buckeyes, but I think they finally break the streak.
Prediction: Ohio State defeats USC 31-20
All things considered, I think the Buckeyes earn a victory in this contest. The 7 wins in a row comment on Twitter, kind of gave the “Basic Defense” vibe and the last thing the Buckeyes need is more bulletin board material after being left out of the playoffs in favor of Bama. I would love to see a decisive victory over USC, but I think both teams come out swinging with NFL draft positions being up for grabs.
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