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Defensive Dropoff for Upcoming FB Season

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Without fail, someone always rises to assume the leadership role...and it doesn't necessarily have to be a senior. We also need to remember (a lot of folks seem to keep forgetting this) that our defense will not be as green as "the loss of nine starters" implies. In addition to our two returning starters (Patterson and Pitcock), we have quite a few players with a good amount of game experience and some even have started games (D'Andrea, Mitchell, Jenkins, Laurinaitis, Richardson). We also have players like Freeman and Wilson who are sure to blow up if they remain healthy. O'Neal has nickleback experience along with a full season of special teams experience, and if Amos is as good at corner as he was raved about during camps, our defense will be quite strong from the season's very first snap.
 
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MililaniBuckeye said:
Another example of adjustments between first and second drives is the Northwestern game. Basanez led a great 80-yard TD drive in just 2:28. After adjusting, we held NW's high-powered offense to 131 yards and no points over the last 57 minutes of the game.
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I remember that. Everyone was thinking this was going to be a tight game but after that they got nothing. Same thing with Texas, Notre Dame, San Diego St., and I think Minnesota.
 
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Everyone is right on point in this thread. Coaching is what makes the difference when "inexperience" is thrown in to the equation. Heacock AND Tress showed a magnificent ability to adapt to a plethora of different schemes last year, and as has been said, it's not like we're throwing a bunch of kids outta high school out there. I'm hesitant not to call Lil Animal a returning starter due to the all the action he saw in two HUGE games to close the season, amongst all the others who saw significant action during the season. Lauranitis just stands out considering the GIGANTIC shoes he was filling. We will be fine, too bad I'm gonna have to watch this season from Korea.:!
 
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BuckeyeKid789 said:
I remember that. Everyone was thinking this was going to be a tight game but after that they got nothing. Same thing with Texas, Notre Dame, San Diego St., and I think Minnesota.
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It took us a couple drives to start holding Texas in check until their last drive. As for SDSU, they had all of 99 yards total offense after they scored on an 80-yard catch-and-run on the very first play of the game...that was one of the biggest throttle jobs I've ever seen an OSU defense put on a team. Minnesota moved the ball with relative ease on us the entire first half, but we shut them down the second half.
 
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all there needs to be is 755 of the defense that was there last year and look out. the defense will be young, but there are some big time players steping in. it is hard to replce those linbackers, but freeman played some last year, ross homan is just an animal and the other two sound like they are very athletic also
 
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Taosman said:
Watch JamO step up big time. He wants to lead this team.
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I agree that JamO will make a very strong-minded db.

THOUGH...please tell me I'm not the only one who noticed how insanely outspoken Malcolm Jenkins was on the field all last year. He not only showed emotion and played cheerleader quite often, but he was almost always in his receiver's face talking smack and playing VERY aggressive to boot. Not saying trash talk equals leadership, just saying he is not shy, lacking confidence or the will to speak out on the field. A good tackler on top of it all. IMHO he will be the next big-time all-american CB at tOSU.

D'Andrea seems quiet as does Pitcock, but JayRich & L.Wilson are more vocal. I'd look to one of those ends to really step up the leadership as well.
 
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Some research and number-crunching that I did for the Northern Illinois thread brought out some points that need to be mentioned; but didn't belong there. This is as good a place for it as any.

I ranked all D1A teams based on their average Rushing Defense ranking over the last 4 years. The top 5 were as follows:
  1. USC
  2. The Ohio State University
  3. Oklahoma
  4. Iowa
  5. TCU
Only Oklahoma was fairly consistent throughout this period. The four other teams all had 3 great years and one year in the tank (by comparison). When you compare the season-in-the-tank for each of these four teams, there was one common thread; the loss of 3 or more defensive linemen.

It was true of tOSU and TCU in '04, and of Iowa and USC last year. The loss of linebackers had nothing like the effect that the loss of 3 DL had on these defenses.

With that in mind, consider the '06 defense: The defensive tackles return. I agree with those who say that Kudla was a beast; but the development of the depth at defensive end has been remarkable in the off-season by all accounts. When both end positions are considered, it is entirely conceivable that over the course of an entire game, we'll get more production out of the DE position this year than last. I'm just sayin....

Whether or not this pans out, it is certainly true that defensive tackle is more important to the running game than defensive end; and ours are stout. Tim May of the Dispatch, an Alabama fan, has boldly predicted that next year's defense will be tough against the run because of the DT play.

Combined with the athletic ability and speed of the back 7, this year's Defense might very well be very good from day 1, even by our standards.
 
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