LB Coach James Laurinaitis (2x B1G DPOY, 2006 Nagurski, 2007 Butkus, 2008 Lott, 3x All-American, OSU HOF)

[Magua]

CNNSI - Top 10 Defensive Draft Prospects

10 Gholston, 9 Rivers, 8 Jenkins, 7 Maualuga, 6 Campbell, 5 Ellis, 4 Laurinaitis, 3 Phillips, 2 Long, 1 Dorsey

3 OF THE TOP 10. wow.

There is a very good chance all 3 are gone after this year(if we win the NC especially), and you could throw in Boone potentially as an OL. We could have 4 1st rounders this year.

 

[lvbuckeye]

a couple observations:

1) the majority of PSU success came on draw plays.
2) on those plays, PSU's guard and center doubled the DT and the guard slid off into the second level and picked up JL. it was clearly their goal. a guard with a 70 pound edge will win that battle nearly every time.

 

[UpNorthBuckeye]

Football: a TEAM sport.

Maybe next week they'll key on Freeman. Who cares?

Go Bucks! Just win, baby!

 

[WaitingforKickoff]

James is a great player and I think everyone recognizes that. However, I don't think he's a combine warrior, like AJ Hawk was. I don't think he'll rattle off 4.4s or even 4.5s, and I think that's going to hurt him. How badly? I think that if he comes out this year, it could keep him out of the first round. Why take that chance? Come back for your senior season James and bring tOSU back to back titles!

 

[MD Buckeye]

James is a great player and I think everyone recognizes that. However, I don't think he's a combine warrior, like A.J. Hawk was. I don't think he'll rattle off 4.4s or even 4.5s, and I think that's going to hurt him. How badly? I think that if he comes out this year, it could keep him out of the first round. Why take that chance? Come back for your senior season James and bring tOSU back to back titles!

Though I agree he won't be a combine warrior like Hawk was, I still think he'd be a 1st round pick this year.

 

[cjmik_75]

Your post hurts my eyes "Mute?" :)

In all seriousness, we had four D-Lineman most of the game against PSU, they were still getting to the backers. And I also believe we played a majority of the game in a cover 2 (base).

I didn't think we were in many 4 linemen sets. I thought it was three down linemen and one of our outside LB's putting a hand down and playing DE.

I agree we should be in more 4-3-4 traditional sets too, but I also believe the staff knows our guys a little better than we do.

It's more of a case that our 3-3-5 set is sacrificing a DT/DE but we're keeping a supremely athletic LB in to rush the edge and play the screens so what we're sacrificing is size for speed....all in all, I think our defensive coaches are making the right calls and doing what is best for the team in general...besides giving up 6.0 ypc don't mean shit it's ppg that's most important and last I checked....we lead the nation in ppg!!(defensively)

I'd say that our D will play great this week a team that can't and won't throw the ball against us and we can really concentrate on keeping 7-8 in the box and just shutting the run down.

I like our chances especially when we are dictating the tempo and when they throw the ball... I hope they come out and try and throw....start the game off with sack/ff/fr for a TD or a pick six. punch these guys right in the mouth on the first play from scrimmage.

This is the week the:osu gets a shut out!

tOSU-38
UW-0

Go Bucks!

 

[WaitingforKickoff]

Though I agree he won't be a combine warrior like Hawk was, I still think he'd be a 1st round pick this year.

I think we are really talking about two types of players. One type is the physical freak and the other one is the steady producer. I think Laurinaitis is a steady producer, and I think steady producers are well-served to stay in college and not come out early. Sure you might say that it's only an one year difference, but that one year can mean day and night in a GM's eyes. As freakish as Hawk was his JR year, he wasn't making the plays that he was making his SR year. That final year can really serve as a boost in a steady performer's development and propel him up in the draft.

 

[CausticMick]

I didn't think we were in many 4 linemen sets. I thought it was three down linemen and one of our outside LB's putting a hand down and playing DE.

A four man front is a four man front, bro. If the LB puts his hand down, it really doesn't matter. It's the alignment, and they still have to make room for that guy as an outside shade on the end man on the LOS. No reason to line up with your hand on the ground if you aren't engaging off of the LOS. At any rate, you are surely right about one thing- we have not not even a smidgen of knowledge of what is best for the team compared to the coaching staff. If you didn't know, I am Captain Obvious. :)

There wasn't adjustment that I saw to keep the guards off of the LBs. We all saw it, so surely the guys up top did. They may have been willing to give up the LB for whatever reason- could be playing 'possum for the next few contests or even experimentation. They could have been evaluating their DTs with the game in hand, working the two-gap scheme to see if the DTs could make the necessary play. Whatever the motive, the guard wasn't even bumping the DT on several plays, getting in our LBs faces before they could even attempt to get underneath. I still believe I saw a four man front a large portion of the game, but I am not certain. To be honest, there is no reason a G goes to the LBs untouched if they were covered up by a one technique and a three (the conventional line-up in a 4-man front.

Nice post, though! We can analyze all we want but our staff has surely proved competent.

 

[CausticMick]

James is a great player and I think everyone recognizes that. However, I don't think he's a combine warrior, like A.J. Hawk was. I don't think he'll rattle off 4.4s or even 4.5s, and I think that's going to hurt him. How badly? I think that if he comes out this year, it could keep him out of the first round. Why take that chance? Come back for your senior season James and bring tOSU back to back titles!

Though I agree he won't be a combine warrior like Hawk was, I still think he'd be a 1st round pick this year.

Why discredit JLs workout abilities? Do we have any solid evidence to back this claim (stats)? JL looks like a beast, I wouldn't think he'd be a slouch in the weight room.

 

[WaitingforKickoff]

Why discredit JLs workout abilities? Do we have any solid evidence to back this claim (stats)? JL looks like a beast, I wouldn't think he'd be a slouch in the weight room.

James is a great player and no one is saying that he's a slouch, but he is not as fast or explosive to the ball as AJ. His tackling and football iq jumps out at you, but not his speed. That's just my impression. You are certainly entitled to disagree.

 

[daveeb]

NFLDraftScout.com has Laurinaitis listed at a 4.53.

 

[CausticMick]

James is a great player and no one is saying that he's a slouch, but he is not as fast or explosive to the ball as AJ. His tackling and football iq jumps out at you, but not his speed. That's just my impression. You are certainly entitled to disagree.

No, that's not what I'm saying at all; I would never discredit A.J., one of my all-time favorite Buckeyes. I'm asking if we have any comparative figures. Pure curiosity, but a side-step point that we should have some stats as well to be able to discuss this point. As we all know, the NFL scouts love the combine (e.g. Vernon Davis)!

On a side note, I looked at the first two series of the second half (when the game was still very competitive) and saw the Bucks in the four-front on 15 of 16/or17 plays. Keep in mind that the PSU offense would be thought to be passing down by 1 and 2 touchdowns. Many times, the Bucks walked up a linebacker to the outside or to the B gap. FWIW...

 

[RB07OSU]

I'm not posting this to start an argument, but can you please explain what a DT can do to absorb blocks?

In addition, I think JL did a fine job of getting off blocks. I don't believe it is very easy to make a read when the guard doesn't even stick an arm out to slow the DT (hence, the tentativeness to which you may be referring was really just a lack of time).

Again, I've seen some analysis you posted in the past and think you have a fair grasp on the game (better than the average bear). I just do not understand what you are wanting the DT's to do that isn't reputational.

No problem at all...the DT's have to gain attention from the OL and one of them needs to demand a double team on every play, to keep the LB's free to make plays. If any of our DT's would have done this, it would have been difficult/impossible for JL to get double and triple teamed all night. "Absorbing blocks" is a poor job of wording it but essentially they don't make the tackle but they make the play by drawing constant double teams. Teams had to do this with Quinn Pitcock and while he didn't have a ton of tackles, he did free up our LB's to make a lot of plays. One guy at DT needs to step up and live in the backfield so they will have to double team him and leave JL to make plays. I'm sure grad could give a better explanation than me though.

 

[CausticMick]

No problem at all...the DT's have to gain attention from the OL and one of them needs to demand a double team on every play, to keep the LB's free to make plays. If any of our DT's would have done this, it would have been difficult/impossible for JL to get double and triple teamed all night. "Absorbing blocks" is a poor job of wording it but essentially they don't make the tackle but they make the play by drawing constant double teams. Teams had to do this with Quinn Pitcock and while he didn't have a ton of tackles, he did free up our LB's to make a lot of plays. One guy at DT needs to step up and live in the backfield so they will have to double team him and leave JL to make plays. I'm sure grad could give a better explanation than me though.

What I'm getting at here is, what can a DT do to demand the double team? Does he just say, "Hey, I'm outside shade of you, GUARD. You and the tackle better double team me or else!" :)

In all seriousness, if a team can block you with one guy, why use two? The only way to get them to double you is to "make the play" at the LOS. If you're one or two gap scheme, you have to make the tackles in your gap(s). The next guy that can help you is 15 off. I understand what you mean by saying that a DT makes the play even if he doesn't get a stat, but, he can't make that play unless he requires two blockers (by making every play to his gap/side). Make sense?

OG (grad) and I are on the same page, no worries.

 

[Tonyank]

This guy is a future top 10 pick for sure!! I hope he stays here for his senior year. His vision is so stout!!!! Got my white 33 jersey on the way!!!