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Best Buckeye Defense Ever?

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Cornerback6

Cornerback6

Optimism Lover
If our other corner spot play is strong and someone steps up and becomes an impact player at one of the D-End spots, could this be the best Buckeye defense ever?

I know we have had some incredible defenses over time, but this defense has the potential for 5 All-Americans (1st,2nd,3rd team regardless), a ridiculously well-balanced attack and great strengths in every unit (LBs, DBs, DL).

We say it every other year, but can someone really put up more than two touchdowns on this unit? If our offense establishes some ball control and scores more touchdowns this year with significant drives and t.o.p., do you see our D giving up much ground to anyone?

It will most likely happen once, but do you really see any one running back taking it to this unit of LBs and DL? Can you see one QB shredding our secondary (especially with Orton gone)?

Might sound corny, but with all the leadership and heart on this D, I can't see our silver bullets giving much up to anyone. I don't care about Vince Young either. He'll get one good hit like all the other scrambling QBs do who play us and slow down. We have a great QB to practice for the Texas game (in Smith obviously) and I'm truly not that worried about any one team. What do you guys think.

Could this be the best Bucks D ever?
 
If Richardson can step up and be a monster, which is a big IF, then we can start talking like this. I think he'll be good bordering on very good by the latter portion of the season, but OSU has never seen a DL like the one we had in 2002.

Our LB's are better, and I think Youboty/Everett/JamO/Welch/Lane/etc. are better corners, and safeties are sort of comparable (salley better than nickey IMO, doss better than whitner)...

But a dominant DL ends the game for the other team. The best coverage CBs and LBs are eventually going to lose coverage given enough time, and the DL has to keep the OL off of the 2nd and 3rd level of defenders.

I think there are many reasons to be excited and compare the potential of this defense to teh one in 2002. But let's wait until we return the favor to Iowa.
 
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That 2002 defense was incredible. It's probably the best I've ever seen. If the 2005 defense can be anywhere as good as the 1996 defense was, I think the Bucks will be in really good shape. Was that the year with Vrabel and Finkes? Maybe Fickell? It was Katzenmoyer's freshman year, and Bellisari's (Greg) senior year. Shawn Springs and.. damn.. what was his name? Ty Howard? With those two cornerbacks, they were able to blitz very often, without worrying about the one-on-one coverage.

I think the LB's are better with 2005, compared to 1996. D-line was better in 1996 (prove me wrong, guys). Defensive backs - I don't know. Part of this is trying to remember way back then, and part is not quite knowing who the second corner will be.
 
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Though I realize 2002's DLine could be a once in a lifetime deal, our LBs right now could be the same.

I don't think it's unfair at all to say this defense COULD be the best ever. BuckFromScum hit it on the head when he said the DLine isn't as good right now, the backers are better and the DBackfield is just about a wash.

Kudla came on at the end of last season and Pitcock was an absolute monster to deal with. Richardson DEFINITELY has the fire, but can he be an impact player is the question for sure. Wilhelm and Grant were great, but Hawk will be a legend. Carpenter in my opinion is better than Grant & Wilhelm both as well.

We shut down the running game with ease at the end of last season so why shouldn't we continue the trend this year and improve at that? Fraser was good, but never maxed out his potential, so he will be missed, but there is definitely room to better here.

Saying NO right away in my opinion is not looking at the entire picture fairly. There is NO reason why we can't be better than the 2002 D, it's not a farce at all...a couple (2) of positions away at most.
 
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Agreed, CB. This team has more athletic ability and talent, overall. They also have the potential for the kind of clutch play that 2002 demonstrated the entire season. If this defense can approximate 2002's heart, it will be the best ever. I cannot wait to see what we do in the opener. We may/will hold much back on offense before Texas and the conference schedule, but we'll know right away what kind of defense we have. That was part of what was great about the '96 team. They punished inferior competition. I don't know that I can say that about 2002. 2005 could combine the best of both these defenses.
 
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This years defense will be great with the potential to be in the discussion of best Buckeye defenses ever...

The best defenses start with a DOMINATING D-line. Think 1996 or 2002-2003. If you have lines of that quality, you can get pressure on the QB and limit potential for broken down coverage and you can keep lineman out of the second level and allow linebackers to roam free on the run. This years line has the potential to be very solid, but I don't believe they stack up with the domination of some of the others in this discussion.

This isn't to take anything away from this years defense. At 95% of other schools they would be THE elite defense in school history. It just speaks volumes to how many great Buckeye defenses we've had recently.
 
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Cornerback6 said:
Saying NO right away in my opinion is not looking at the entire picture fairly.
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I think I'm being fair. To say "best ever" is saying a lot. The 2002 defense may not even be best ever. It's the best I've ever seen at Ohio State, but the 1973 defense gave up something like 33 points all season, until the Michigan game. Even after the Michigan game, they gave up only 10 more points.

This year's defense will be great. As was the defense last season, and the season before that. But "best ever" is a wild prediction (in my opinion) where the biggest question (d-line) happens to be arguably the most important part of any "best ever" defense.
 
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The statistical definition of defensive success is holding an offense to a third-down conversion rate of 33 percent. In the red zone (inside the 20), the defense wants to limit an offense to one touchdown for every three trips. Last year (2001), Ohio State allowed a third-down conversion rate of 46 percent and a touchdown rate in the red zone of 48 percent.
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In 2002
Opponents converted only 36 percent of their third downs. They scored only nine touchdowns in 35 trips into the red zone. That's a rate of 26 percent
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Last year, they allowed 38% 3rd down conversion and about 56% touchdown in redzones. I went through the redzones looking at drives summaries so it may be a bit off. 3rd down conversions is already almost where it was in 2002, but red zone scoring is the biggest difference. If they improve in that area, there can be talks about it being our best defense ever, but thats a big jump to make imo.

Also the 2002 carried our team that year to an undefeated season. Hopefully our offense wont give our defense that opportunity this year.
 
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Many of you folks don't remember the 1973 defense. In 10 regular season games, they gave up a total of 43 points. They shut out 4 Big-10 teams.

The D-line included All-American Van Ness DeCree and future AA Pete Cusick. The linebacking corps was led by 2-time All-America Randy Gradishar and Rick Middleton, both first-round NFL draftees. The DB's included future AA's Neal Colzie and Tim Fox (Dustin's uncle).

Gradishar finished 6th in the Heisman voting as a defensive player, and 2 of the 5 guys that got more votes were teammates! OL John Hicks (2nd) and Archie (5th).

I hope the 2005 defense is great. But as far as the best tOSU defense ever, we'll need to compare it to the 1973 squad, rather than our NC defense of 2002.
 
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BuckeyeBill73 said:
Many of you folks don't remember the 1973 defense. In 10 regular season games, they gave up a total of 43 points. They shut out 4 Big-10 teams.


The D-line included All-American Van Ness DeCree and future AA Pete Cusick. The linebacking corps was led by 2-time All-America Randy Gradishar and Rick Middleton, both first-round NFL draftees. The DB's included future AA's Neal Colzie and Tim Fox (Dustin's uncle).

Gradishar finished 6th in the Heisman voting as a defensive player, and 2 of the 5 guys that got more votes were teammates! OL John Hicks (2nd) and Archie (5th).

I hope the 2005 defense is great. But as far as the best tOSU defense ever, we'll need to compare it to the 1973 squad, rather than our NC defense of 2002.
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Unfortunately, I'm only 23 and won't compare two teams or players if I wasn't able to experience their dominance. Based on what you said, it's very likely that the '73 squad is up top.

I love hearing my dad talk about the Buckeye teams he watched when he was growing up...I wish I would've been able to see some of them.
 
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No other defense has even been close to the 1973 defense. They gave up 2 TDs and 2 FGs in their first eight games, including a five-game run where they allowed a single score (TD). Are you fucking kidding me?! They gave up 37 points in eight Big Ten games.
 
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John Hicks and Arch helped make the '73 D so strong by keeping the ball out of the opponents hands. Unless the running game takes off, and the Bucks convert a great 3rd down %, equaling the success of the 2002 D would be a huge accomplishment.

I don't think anything in the modern era comes close to '73 at tOSU.
 
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