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Onebuckfan
classof76
The defense flunked the midterm today. GPA 0.0 Blutarsky.REPORT CARD: UPDATED GRADES FOR EACH OHIO STATE POSITION GROUP AFTER EIGHT GAMES, WIN VS. PENN STATE
The following grades for each Ohio State unit are meant to reflect each unit’s performance over the course of the entire season, not only the last game and including the games that were already graded in the first trimester. With that being said, though, these grades also seek to reflect how each unit has improved over the course of the season and performed in comparison to preseason expectation, while giving weight to big performances in big games, as the Buckeyes’ most recent game against Penn State certainly was.
DEFENSIVE LINE: A
In Ohio State’s first report card last month, I wrote that the Buckeyes defensive line had the potential to be the best unit on the team but that it still needed to play up to its ability on the field to earn a top mark:
There’s little question that Ohio State has grade-A talent on the defensive line, but that unit still needs to show it can dominate against upper-level competition in order to receive an A grade.
Even going into this past Saturday’s game against Penn State, there was still some question as to whether the Buckeyes defensive line could take over and control the line of scrimmage against a top-notch opponent, because they had mostly bullied upon overmatched teams. But the Buckeyes’ overwhelming performance on Saturday, in which the defensive line made a constant presence in Penn State’s backfield and led the team as a whole to record 13 total tackles for loss, showed that their play on the defensive front is finally matching up with the hype.
Led by a tremendous quartet of defensive ends in Nick Bosa, Sam Hubbard, Tyquan Lewis and Jalyn Holmes, plus a strong rotation at defensive tackle led by Dre’Mont Jones, Tracy Sprinkle and Robert Landers, Ohio State has recorded 71 tackles for loss this season – third-most among all FBS teams – and has held opponents to just 2.9 rushing yards per carry.
The Buckeyes defensive line must continue to perform at that level to earn an A for the season, but this is an experienced and supremely talented unit that appears to be finally playing up to its immense potential.
LINEBACKERS: B
Ohio State’s linebacker play has been evidently more sound over the Buckeyes’ past four games than it was early in the season. The Buckeyes haven’t had the same issues with linebackers being out of position in pass coverage that they had early in the season, while Jerome Baker and Dante Booker have become more consistent defenders against the run.
After failing to make the big plays they were expected to make early in the season, Baker and Booker have both had their moments in recent weeks; Booker recorded his first career sack and interception against Rutgers, while Baker had a strip sack and returned a fumble for a touchdown against Maryland.
On a consistent basis, though, Baker still hasn’t been as much of an impact playmaker for the Ohio State defense as he was last year, and no one else at the position has emerged with a comparable level of playmaking ability. Middle linebacker Chris Worley is also just getting back to starting and playing in a regular capacity for the defense after missing the better part of five games with a sprained foot.
There’s been more good than bad from Ohio State’s linebackers this season, as they’ve made strides over the course of the year to become a more reliable unit, but there is still another level to which they should be capable of elevating their play to become an A-level unit.
Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...ion-group-after-eight-games-win-vs-penn-state
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Linebackers are the worst in coverage that I can ever remember. We played man and it was ok for a minute but assignments in zone are absolute shit. They aren't the only ones because offense vs zone is just as bad.
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OhioState001
Tressel Loyalist
Is it just me or does it seem like Tyquan Lewis has been pretty invisible this year? He's the reigning Big Ten D-Lineman of the year and I don't ever hear his name called. Honestly the only one on the defense who is great every week is Ward
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bukIpower
Head Coach
I said it last week... huge under performer... or maybe he's just not as good as we thought.
As I said earlier tonight though... if any player was thinking of going pro on defense other then Ward they're idiots. Baker, Hubbard, and Jones need a lot of work.
Hubbard has what? Maybe 2 sacks?
Jones has done nothing all year
Baker has been such a liability in pass defense also.
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Dee-Liem
Disciplina in Civitatem
The true frustrating thing for me is that I don't think we're playing the best players possible in the Back 7.
It sometimes takes injuries for a Ryan Shazier or Chris Gamble to play and I kinda wish we wouldn't wait at this point. It kills me that Ohio State only had one season of Malik Hooker.
No ones really standing out in the Back 7 -- for anything good -- at this point. Changes should be made.
It sometimes takes injuries for a Ryan Shazier or Chris Gamble to play and I kinda wish we wouldn't wait at this point. It kills me that Ohio State only had one season of Malik Hooker.
No ones really standing out in the Back 7 -- for anything good -- at this point. Changes should be made.
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buckeyesin07
Veni. Vidi. Vici.
Yep, Baker gets a lot of flack (and rightly so) for his horrible coverage skills, but Booker was atrocious yesterday--on two of the TDs, he was responsible, and he wasn't even in the same zip code as the Iowa guy who caught the TD.
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Systems_id
Head Coach
It was the first Pro style team they've seen all year and our d-lines since Urban has gotten here has never been great against those types of offenses. Wisconsin in 2014 is the lone exception. I was a little nervous for that very reason but calmed down a bit when I re-watched the Penn State game and saw the Lions dominate Iowa on both sides of the line of scrimmage.
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OhioState001
Tressel Loyalist
Haven't heard Landers name called all year either. He isn't hurt is he?
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buckeyesin07
Veni. Vidi. Vici.
He had some nice plays against PSU, but yeah, his name wasn't called once yesterday that I can recall. Then again, no one on the d-line played well. That picture of Hubbard hanging onto the QB's leg but unable to bring him down, while the QB threw another TD pass pretty much sums up our defense's play yesterday.
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I am not going to rewatch that nightmare but from what I saw during the game the DL was not the biggest issue.
I usually watch the LOS and not the QB, just to get a feel for who is controlling the trenches and the OSU DL was getting penetration (especially up the middle).
I was blown away early on, before the game got out of hand, by how poorly the LB's were run fitting or covering down field.
The scary part to me is that every team left on the schedule (save Illinois) is just like Iowa. No DL in the history of football can sack the QB on every play nor can they appear to be having a good game if the QB can just play pitch and catch with TE's and outlet receivers who are wide open in 3 seconds or less.
Maybe my recollection is hazy from the emotion of the game but that is how I have felt all year, the ease of which QB's can hit receivers makes it seem like the DL is not dominating moreso than they are actually being well blocked/nullified by opposing OL.
I usually watch the LOS and not the QB, just to get a feel for who is controlling the trenches and the OSU DL was getting penetration (especially up the middle).
I was blown away early on, before the game got out of hand, by how poorly the LB's were run fitting or covering down field.
The scary part to me is that every team left on the schedule (save Illinois) is just like Iowa. No DL in the history of football can sack the QB on every play nor can they appear to be having a good game if the QB can just play pitch and catch with TE's and outlet receivers who are wide open in 3 seconds or less.
Maybe my recollection is hazy from the emotion of the game but that is how I have felt all year, the ease of which QB's can hit receivers makes it seem like the DL is not dominating moreso than they are actually being well blocked/nullified by opposing OL.
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