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2009 Linebacker Discussion

Ohio State linebacker corps stays the course
Position still a strength thanks to Homan, Rolle, Spitler
Friday, November 20, 2009
By Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

1120_osufb_sp_11-20-09_C1_6HFO44H.jpg

Neal C. Lauron | Dispatch
Linebackers Brian Rolle, left, and Ross Homan lead Ohio State in tackling. The defense is fourth nationally against the run.

Just in case Austin Spitler hadn't been paying attention for five years, former Ohio State coach Earle Bruce laid it out for him and the rest of the Buckeyes players this week.

"He told us, 'If you want to be a great player, remember: Here at the Ohio State University, you have to play great versus Michigan,' " Spitler said. "It's the last regular-season game, it's the greatest rivalry of them all, it's the most fierce game of the year, and everybody strives to make that big play, and it's important to make a play that's going to impact the game."

Perhaps. But making a play that helps cement a Rose Bowl bid, as Spitler did last week in an overtime win over Iowa, is memorable, too. Ross Homan had an interception, and both of them teamed with fellow linebacker Brian Rolle to help stuff the Iowa running game.

This was supposed to be a fall-off season for Ohio State linebackers, with the loss of starters James Laurinaitis and Marcus Freeman to the NFL. Spitler, a senior, and Rolle, a junior, were thrust into starting jobs next to Homan, a junior who had played about half the time last season.

Going into a game Saturday at Michigan, Ohio State is fourth nationally against the run (83.7-yard average). Rush defense is a team effort, but a team doesn't get statistics like that without great play at linebacker.

"I'm not surprised at all by their play because I've been playing with those guys for four years and I've seen what they can do in practice," safety Anderson Russell said. "Ross has been playing a lot since he's been here. B-Rolle is somebody who always flew around and gave tremendous effort on special teams, so you could see he had the potential to be a special player.

"And Austin, he has always been somebody who has been a leader. He was always behind the scenes as far as you guys (media and fans) were concerned, but we knew he was a good player all along. He's finally getting his chance this year."

Ohio State linebacker corps stays the course | BuckeyeXtra
 
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