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2014 tOSU Defense Discussion

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kujirakira said:
I'm strangely optimistic about the secondary. IMO the problem often went back to the safeties. Burrows and Bell looked good when they got to play last year. Knowing that there's even more talent behind that... and having Ash... I feel good about it. There's a player I feel very tentative about, but it looks like the talent is there to either push him or displace him.

What has me worried is the LB corps. Perry, Grant, Williams, and Berger weren't cutting it last year. I have a feeling that we need youngsters to step up and run away with it like Laurinaitis did as a Frosh (when Carpenter got injured).
The recruiting hull we got was absolutely vital with how depleted this unit is... but I haven't heard if any of them are ready to push for a starting position now, and it's not realistic to expect it from true frosh either.
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After last season's defensive performance, this team can only get better. Bringing in a new defensive philosphy, players eager to play more aggressively, and much better talent and depth and this defense will be better. This leads me to believe that besides some players not living up to the hype, that scheme was the biggest problem over the past several years (esp. last year)
 
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I think the new scheme alone will improve our play night and day, at least with the secondary. With the LBs, we just didn't have the players nor the depth. In the secondary, however, if we cannot get things done with Grant, Apple, Conley, Powell, Bell, Burrows, Reeves, Webb, Lattimore, and Smith...that would just be ridiculous, way too much talent and depth not to find the right mix to make the back 4-5 excel.

As for LBs, the play better at least improve. There are enough bodies and ability to be above average (nobody should expect a Hawk/Carpenter/Schlegel-esque group quite yet). I'm hoping the light clicks for C. Grant but if not, McMillan sounds ready to man the spot and do well. Perry was fairly solid last year and should only be improved. That is 2 spots and we usually only have 2 LBs at a time anyways. But beyond that, it sounds like Darron Lee should be a missile out there and Worley is another similar type LB. Plus I would hope at least one of Hubbard, Booker, and/or Berger would be ready to contribute. No idea where Trey Johnson is right now. In any event, that is enough guys and talent that we should see a solid unit, especially when you consider how many blockers the front 4 is going to demand...they should free up the LBs to make plays consistently.
 
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The entire LB corps looked lost in coverage last year, especially Perry. That could be scheme, but there were also rashes of mind boggling tackling, especially Williams.
Articles like this leave me somewhat perplexed. Not to pick on Perry, but the idea that they'll be better because they were waiting for Shazier to make plays last year? I don't know what I'm supposed to think about their work ethic when he admits everyone was sitting back and riding the Shazier train -- letting Ryan do the work. It also seems to me that there still isn't a leader in that group. I have hopes that some of these underclassmen can show leadership (Lee? McMillan?) but yea... a lot to be apprehensive about here. Hope they prove me wrong and gel (which is weird to say about a unit that'll only have 1 new starter but something has just felt off for awhile)
http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2014/08/if_all-american_ryan_shazier_w.html
 
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RB07OSU said:
I think the new scheme alone will improve our play night and day, at least with the secondary. With the LBs, we just didn't have the players nor the depth. In the secondary, however, if we cannot get things done with Grant, Apple, Conley, Powell, Bell, Burrows, Reeves, Webb, Lattimore, and Smith...that would just be ridiculous, way too much talent and depth not to find the right mix to make the back 4-5 excel.

As for LBs, the play better at least improve. There are enough bodies and ability to be above average (nobody should expect a Hawk/Carpenter/Schlegel-esque group quite yet). I'm hoping the light clicks for C. Grant but if not, McMillan sounds ready to man the spot and do well. Perry was fairly solid last year and should only be improved. That is 2 spots and we usually only have 2 LBs at a time anyways. But beyond that, it sounds like Darron Lee should be a missile out there and Worley is another similar type LB. Plus I would hope at least one of Hubbard, Booker, and/or Berger would be ready to contribute. No idea where Trey Johnson is right now. In any event, that is enough guys and talent that we should see a solid unit, especially when you consider how many blockers the front 4 is going to demand...they should free up the LBs to make plays consistently.
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This. We may have had some depth and experience issues last season, but the glaring problems emanated from folks wearing headsets.
 
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Every time I think about last year's defense I don't know if I'm more shocked or disgusted. I was just reading the Football Outsiders' ranking of the best Big 10 teams of the BCS era and a good portion of the list was Buckeyes' teams and most of the those teams got there b/c of their defense.

I don't really care if a team wins b/c of a great defense or a great offense. If you win, you win. I'm not demanding we go back to Tressel ball. But at least those Tressel ball teams had solid (or pretty good) offenses. They didn't have disastrous offenses, which is what last year's defense was.

I hope and expect never to see again what I saw in the last 3 games of last season on the defensive side of the football. That was unacceptable.

*ends rants* sorry if I got a little too heated there. I took a shot and a beer before reading that FO article. *breathes deep, calms down*
 
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kujirakira said:
The entire LB corps looked lost in coverage last year, especially Perry. That could be scheme, but there were also rashes of mind boggling tackling, especially Williams.
Articles like this leave me somewhat perplexed. Not to pick on Perry, but the idea that they'll be better because they were waiting for Shazier to make plays last year? I don't know what I'm supposed to think about their work ethic when he admits everyone was sitting back and riding the Shazier train -- letting Ryan do the work. It also seems to me that there still isn't a leader in that group. I have hopes that some of these underclassmen can show leadership (Lee? McMillan?) but yea... a lot to be apprehensive about here. Hope they prove me wrong and gel (which is weird to say about a unit that'll only have 1 new starter but something has just felt off for awhile)
http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2014/08/if_all-american_ryan_shazier_w.html
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I'm in agreement with you with being worried about our LB group. For all of the talk of Perry, he didn't show much last year, and I hope this off season helped with him but he just didn't look instinctual last year. He waited to make moves instead of reacting to the play, and too much watching Shazier. Grant was just lost last year, played quite mediocre, and he doesn't offer much hope to get better. I almost would like the 2 LBers that play in nickel to be Perry and Lee. Due to Lee's cover skills. I like always hope that I'm wrong and the LBers turn it around, because if they do, our defense would go from being good to great.
 
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Krenzelicious said:
Prediction/guess: The lights have finally come on for Curtis Grant. He will finally live up to the hype, become a leader of the defense, and play himself into an NFL career this season. Last season's defensive woes will be a distant memory in short order.
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I will say this about Curtis. I have always liked the guy personally from what I have read. It seems the staff has felt the same. I could easily see him being a leader for the team on D even if he isn't an elite player. If I'm coach I pull him MB and DG and get them on one page. All seniors and representing all 3 levels.
 
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I have a strange confidence. I watched the OB live and Bell is a stud. Why Burrows did not get more PT is beyond me. I think Safety will be the most improved position.

I was having a discussion with a Sparty fan and he was commenting on how our offense will not produce over 40 points this year and I fell out of my chair laughing. He asked what was funny. I told him to hang onto his seatbelt because the improvement on defense would garner us 3-4 more offensive possessions a game.

I also added our return game should be scary and Johnson will pin people inside their 10 often.

Call mea homer but IMO our defense will carry over to offense and even special teams.

I cannot wait to see the product on the field...they should improve at linebacker game by game.
 
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ShowMeBuck said:
I will say this about Curtis. I have always liked the guy personally from what I have read. It seems the staff has felt the same. I could easily see him being a leader for the team on D even if he isn't an elite player. If I'm coach I pull him MB and DG and get them on one page. All seniors and representing all 3 levels.
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Yeah, but shouldn't leaders also lead by example? It'd be hard to lead by example if you're losing your position to a frosh. Grant and Bennett are sure fire leaders and 2 of our best defenders, Grant isn't exactly that guy. Nothing against the guy personally like stated, just going by play.
 
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