I think as Buckeye fans, a lot of us are in shock for plenty of reasons. Besides the obvious fact of losing, the streak is over, No NC, No Big ten championship, etc. Trying to find a reason for this loss, I can't keep help but point the finger at basically everyone on the defensive staff with the exception of Mike Vrabel. Without using any inside information, Im just using my playing knowledge of the game and my eyes as a spectator. As noted by a previous post, we will have an opponent scoring average of 20 ppg if Clemson scores a fg at the bowl game, and I think that is very likely. When did these defensive woes start? Right after Tattoogate, when Luke Fickell was given more of a leadership/coordinator role in our program, first as an interim coach and then as Co-Defensive coordinator. I know Luke is a fellow buckeye who has done a lot for this program and been integral in a lot of our great players development in the last decade, but as soon as he was given more responsibility, the product on the field started to instantly suffer. Translate this situation to a regular work setting; If you are apart of an excelling work group with a medium level of responsibility and then your boss promotes to lead the group, and it instantly begins to suffer, I don't think your employer will keep you group lead for too long. If your not entirely fired, you will most definitely be demoted (Ive seen it happen plenty of times). People can blame the players missing tackles, taking wrong angles, etc, but these problems have been going on since 2011. At what point do the coaches take responsibility for these mistakes especially when they happen week after week? Aren't' they supposed to coach up these players? We are a top 10 program historically with access to the best recruits in the country and the some of the best facilities. Even with the transfers, injuries, etc. , we should still have the depth to prevent horrible offenses with less talent from having their career days. To me this is not a personnel problem, especially with our recent recruiting. In the early to mid 2000s, we were consistently taking 3 star recuits like Michael and Malcolm Jenkins, AJ Hawk, James Laurenitis (spelling lol), etc. and turning them into All-Americans and first round picks, sometimes by the end of their sophomore year. Now we barely get a 5 star lb (curtis Grant) to play halfway consistent in his Junior year. You can say, " well maybe the staff misevaluated talent?". Again, that is part of your job, the most important part outside of getting the kid to commit and coaching him. Whose fault is it that you targeting the wrong prospects? Especially three classes in a row. If I was a hiring manager at a firm, and brought in three rounds of sub par associates, the partner would hand me a pink slip fast. Even their personnel decisions puzzled me. With the way Corey Pitt Brown was playing could it of really hurt to put Von Bell in there at safety? I know you might want to give the nod to a senior over a true freshman, but he was not producing…at all. Im positive Von couldn't have done any worse especially when he'll most likely start for the next 2-3 years.
In conclusion, I see a huge correlation between when Luke Fickell was handed major responsibility and the decline of our defense. Whether coincidence or not, once he was in the spotlight, everything he was charge of started to go to [Mark May].Some people are just better micro managers than macro. Every level with the exception of our D-line (Vrabel is doing his job more than adequately in my opinion) has regressed. Most alarming is the secondary (pointing fingers at Withers and Combs) because the 4 and 5 star talent is there. IMO, our defensive is sub-par mostly due to the coaches.
