There have been numerous posts attempting to convince the NIU fans that the general concensus here has more to do with tOSU's history of rushing defense than with any respect or lack of it for Wolfe. As there has been no response to this; I will reiterate the point statistically and
ask for a response.
First, I'm going to dismiss Tressel's first year. He inherited a team that was not accustomed to discipline and it showed. By the end of that year he had turned the team around, but that was truly a tear-down-and-rebuild year in more ways than one. The fact that the team had not accepted his values as the season started was evident from the half-hearted (at best) way that they engaged in his new tradition of singing Carmen Ohio at the end of every game. The fact that they had accepted his values by the end of the season was obvious from the vigorous, boisterous way they sang Carmen Ohio after defeating Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Of the values that Tressel has imparted to the team; none has been delivered as convincingly as the importance of Rushing Defense (with the possible exception of punting).
In the four years following his first at the helm; the Buckeyes have had an average ranking of 10.25 in Rushing Defense. Only one team in Division IA has done better, USC with an average ranking of 9.75.
That's right, THAT USC. The one that plays in the PAC-10. You know, the conference where running the ball is an after thought at best.
I hope you'll excuse me if I'm more impressed by OSU's average ranking in the Big 10 than by USC's in the PAC 10.
OSU was also the ONLY team in Div. IA to be ranked in the top 5 in Rushing Defense THREE TIMES in the past four years. FWIW they were ranked in the
TOP 3 in Rushing Defense 3X in the past four years.
So what happened in that other year? The one that pulled the average down?
That "other year" was 2004. That was the year where we lost Will Smith, Tim Anderson and Darrion Scott to the NFL. Going from Seniors on the DL to Sophomores dropped us from #2 in Rushing D in '03 to #35 in Rushing D in '04. We bounced back to #1 last year, and we get our defensive tackles back. They are Seniors.
Yes, we lost linebackers; BUT
- Our defensive ends are, with their extra year to develop, considered to be a match for and maybe even an improvement on our DEs of last year.
- Defensive linemen are more important to the running game than linebackers. Just ask Chris Spielman. He was one of the best linebackers to ever play at tOSU, yet his defenses were average against the run because of a very average DL.
- Our linebackers are not "incredibly inexperienced" as some NIU wishful thinking has attempted to observe. They are arguably as experienced as the 2003 crew was, and that crew finished #2 in Rushing Defense.
Now to reiterate the point: OSU has been dynamite against the run under Tressel. I have made a case that they might even be the best in D1A over his tenure. You have acknowledged this point in passing; so how are we "disrespecting" Wolfe when we say we expect this defense to perform well against him? Is his supporting cast better than Texas, who managed 112 yards against us at our house?
Wolfe may well have a Sutton like day against us, but I doubt it. OSU sold out to stop the pass that day, and held one of the best pass offenses in the country to 153 yards (and still held Sutton under 100).
Some here have been disrespectful in general, but MOST of us respect both you and Wolfe. We just don't see how you can objectively consider Wolfe and his supporting cast a match for THIS defense. You haven't gone up against anything remotely like it.
