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2023 tOSU Defense

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buckeyebri said:
I think we’ll know what lies in store after the Wiscy game. My concern against a heavy, physical run team is LB play. The middle of this D at the second level is wide open. We’re going to need the safeties in this 4-2-5 scheme to play big.
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I think we will know a week earlier than that after the PSU game. They have two very legit RBs, Allar is above average at QB, and their OL is solid. I hate PSU to the ends of time, but they are a really good team this year. WKU and Maryland were decent measures of defending the pass, and our secondary more than handled that challenge.

PSU will be the first team to test us in run support imo and that is my biggest concern after seeing stretches where we get gashed in the middle. Hopefully that was a product of being more concerned on the perimeter plays given the offenses we were facing, I would imagine shutting down PSU's run game will be paramount and I think we have plenty enough confidence in Burke, Davison, Hancock, Ransom, Proctor and Styles to handle their business if we mostly devote the front 7 to stopping the run.
 
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NJ-Buckeye said:
Can hitting the right gap be taught to a LB or is it a God given thing? For all we posted about Tuf Borland's speed... the dude seemed to always hit the right gaps... This crew... 1 out of 3 times
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Little bit of both from my experience.

You can certainly can improve with reps and teaching, but there’s for sure a feel to things as well that some players have more than others.
 
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buchtelgrad04 said:
They’re being coached by a different person this year. And he ain’t as good as the last dude.
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Isn’t Knowles the LB coach? I could be wrong, it could be age and a memory thing, but we used to just be here comes the next great LB(s) and we’d plug them in. Lately though it seems like even though recruiting is solid some of these guys just never pan out. I always feel like what will the LBs look like this year.
 
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buckeyebri said:
Isn’t Knowles the LB coach? I could be wrong, it could be age and a memory thing, but we used to just be here comes the next great LB(s) and we’d plug them in. Lately though it seems like even though recruiting is solid some of these guys just never pan out. I always feel like what will the LBs look like this year.
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Yes he’s LB coach in title, but his GA’s do most of the teaching. Koy McFarland, who went to Tulsa with Kevin Wilson as full time LB coach, was the guy teaching them last year.
 
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I overestimated what our LBs were capable of. I assumed better play than 2022 but I was assuming Tommy would take ownership of the leadership of the D. I assumed Doss/Spielman level of leadership. Tommy and Steele need to stop the run maybe our DTs need to take up blockers on first and second down..rush like hell on 2nd and 3rd and long.
 
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scarletngray said:
Just thinking that our "safety driven defense" is really looking good this year. Ransom, Proctor and Styles are all playing at a high level. Might I even say that Ransom and Proctor are playing at an elite level?
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It is, that was the idea last year and it worked well until ttun and UGA...but now we have very good play from our corners that was sorely lacking last year and the safety play is even better with a year of learning the system under their belts. It also helps to have a massive safety in Styles that can come up and essentially be a LB depending on how the other offense lines up.
 
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My only concerns with this D are the lack of pass rush and the linebacker play (the main culprit in the issues with the run D IMO). Steele was a playmaker last year and likely one of our best defensive players. I can recall a time in pretty much every game this year where he was completely lost in his gap assignment. Really odd development for a guy who had a knack for being in the right spot last season.

ND specifically ran a lot of slow developing interior runs that seemed to work against his aggression. Tommy hasn't been playing at the same level either but he also hasn't stood out with mistakes outside of the missed tackle on Saturday. If those two can shore it up I think you'll see a more consistent run defense.

But about that pass rush...
 
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I think the DL playing better has highlighted deficiencies in Chambers' game. When the DL wasn't playing well, the LBs had to play a lot of reactionary football and Steele's speed made him quite good at cleaning up messes. Now that the DL is holding up significantly better, gaps are holding and guys are being funneled to the proper places so it requires a more proactive response from Chambers than a reactive response and it's bringing to light his inability to be in the correct areas.
 
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