2015 tOSU Defense Discussion

[ScriptOhio]

CAN OHIO STATE’S DEFENSE REPEAT ITS BALLHAWKING WAYS IN 2015?

Ohio State safety Vonn Bell had a phrase he used last season when he garnered an interception. Bell referred to those takeaways as “money balls.”

If the interceptions were actually worth any sort of cash consideration, Bell would have been richer than any other Buckeye on defense in 2014. Bell’s six picks led all Ohio State players.

“It’s just having a knack for the ball,” Bell said last season. “I always wanted to be a ballhawk and always wanted to make plays for this defense.”

But the Buckeyes as a team would have fared pretty well, too. Ohio State recorded 25 interceptions during last season’s national championship run. That number was first in the Big Ten (by a wide margin) and fourth nationally. Only Louisville, Louisiana Tech and TCU recorded more team interceptions as each of those programs had 26. Michigan State was second in the Big Ten in interceptions as the Spartans recorded 18 as a team.
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Entire article: http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-...secondary-repeat-its-ballhawking-ways-in-2015

 

[ScriptOhio]

Ranking Ohio State's Top 10 Playmakers on Defense

Honorable Mention — Cardale Jones

After the confusion from readers as to why Cardale Jones was not included on the list of offensive playmakers, we thought it best to include him on this list just in case. Also, how can you dispute defense like this?

You can't teach defense like this. Seriously. You'll be sued.

Entire article: http://theozone.net/Ohio-State/All-...king-Ohio-States-Top-10-Playmakers-on-Defense

 

[Bestbuck36]

Vonn Bell says the DB's are getting faster and faster to the ball with more confidence in the scheme. Yikes

Silver Bullets muthafuckas!

 

[pnuts34]

Vonn Bell says the DB's are getting faster and faster to the ball with more confidence in the scheme. Yikes

Silver Bullets muthafuckas!

Turnovers will be our X factor in the season(just like every teams). Being able to force turnovers and make QBs make bad decisions will be key. The D line will need to step up(the backups) and keep up the pressure. We may have the best Safety tandem in CFB this upcoming season. I would say the same about the CBs but they're so unproven and may go through some issues early on

 

[RB07OSU]

Turnovers will be our X factor in the season(just like every teams). Being able to force turnovers and make QBs make bad decisions will be key. The D line will need to step up(the backups) and keep up the pressure. We may have the best Safety tandem in CFB this upcoming season. I would say the same about the CBs but they're so unproven and may go through some issues early on

Absolutely, it is great to have Powell/Bell behind the CBs so they don't have to worry about getting beat deep too much. Also have great depth back there with Burrows and Smith. I think Apple is going to turn into a bonafide star (he was getting close last year in the final stretch) and there is a TON of talent to compete for the other spot. The only trepidation I have is saying that Grant will be easily replaced...he completely balled out for us last year and will be tough to replace. But returning 3 out of our 4 base guys from a very good secondary bodes well for us no doubt.

 

[ScriptOhio]

YOUNG PLAYERS YEARNING FOR PLAYING TIME IN CROWDED OHIO STATE DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD

Ohio State's rise under Urban Meyer can be directly attributed to recruiting and recruiting well.

According to 247Sports, the Buckeyes owned a top-5 recruiting class in each of Meyer's first three years (2012-14), while finishing with the seventh best group this season.

The result of such stellar recruiting is a surplus of young talent at almost every position. As the game of football goes, however, only 11 individuals can play at any one time.

With so much talent returning from the 2014 College Football Playoff National Championship team — just a total of eight starters are gone as a result of graduation — movement up the depth chart by young players is difficult.

An area that has one vacancy, though, is the defensive backfield, with the exit of two-year starter and first team All-Big Ten cornerback Doran Grant.
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Entire article: http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-...ime-in-crowded-ohio-state-defensive-backfield

 

[OSUK]

I find it interesting that the 2015 defense is getting little attention. It just goes to show how a 3-headed QB competition sucks the oxygen away from everything else.

But I think the defense could be the key to the entire season. Ohio State is going to score points - I don't care who is playing QB. But if the defense can get their ppg average under 20 (and not give up more than 24 in their competitive games), I don't think anyone is beating them.

I look at them this way:

DL: Bosa and Washington are terrors. They need a replacement for Bennett. This is one of two major question marks on this side of the ball. The main candidates have been OK, but not spectacular in the careers thus far. If they don't produce, some younger players will be given a chance, but at this point we don't know how solid the defense will be over/near the ball. I have faith that Coach Johnson will figure it out though. The other DE seems to have some great, young options, and I feel good that one of them will emerge. For some reason, I sense Hubbard will be that guy. Whoever it is will have a chance to do a lot of damage given the attention Bosa will draw on the other side.

LB: I have no concerns about this group. (How long has it been since we could say that?) Lee is a proven playmaker all over, and Perry is a tackling machine around the LOS. I felt Raekwon made more impact plays than Curtis Grant last year, and he should step into the middle seamlessly, and actually make them better.

DB: No concerns about Bell, Powell, and Apple. That other CB will get a lot of balls thrown at him, and is the only other question mark for the defense. Ohio State has to have an outstanding year from whoever that guy eventually is.

If Ohio State gets good production from a DT and a CB, I think we will be talking about winning games on the defensive side of the ball again. My concern about Urban's offense has been that they play fast, score fast, and put their defense on the field a lot - and a tired defense that is trying to protect a 20 point lead isn't as good at, or as motivated to, hold teams down. But I did notice that when Cardale took over, they went to a power running/downfield passing style, took 30 sec to run a play, and the defense seemed to do better. I will be interested to see how fast Ohio State plays on offense this year, and how that affects the defense. I suspect that we will see the HUNH at times, but not as the main tempo.

I would have to think carefully, but I'm not sure I have ever seen an Ohio State team this loaded with talent and depth on both sides of the ball. The comparable would probably be the 96 and 98 teams.

 

[RB07OSU]

I agree with all of that but I have to add that health is key. We got really lucky and had no key injuries on the defensive side of the ball last year. I think we have some depth based on talent but you don't know until you get there. I especially think we have depth at DB/LB but DL must stay healthy, in addition to having at least one DT step up.

But especially agree that 96 and 98 were comparable in talent, but luckily we've got a huge upgrade at the head coach position from those teams.

 

[Dryden]

Darron Lee personally asked Mekka Don for a theme song for the defense. Here it is:

 

[jwinslow]

Darron Lee personally asked Mekka Don for a theme song for the defense. Here it is:

Great clips (and some different angles than normal, especially the bosa smash PSU sideline view). Weak song.

 

[RugbyBuck]

This group could be nasty. I hope our young DBs and DEs get a lot of work early. Love the idea of being able to rotate elite athletes. Release the HOUNDS!

 

[bukIpower]

I find it interesting that the 2015 defense is getting little attention. It just goes to show how a 3-headed QB competition sucks the oxygen away from everything else.

But I think the defense could be the key to the entire season. Ohio State is going to score points - I don't care who is playing QB. But if the defense can get their ppg average under 20 (and not give up more than 24 in their competitive games), I don't think anyone is beating them.

I look at them this way:

DL: Bosa and Washington are terrors. They need a replacement for Bennett. This is one of two major question marks on this side of the ball. The main candidates have been OK, but not spectacular in the careers thus far. If they don't produce, some younger players will be given a chance, but at this point we don't know how solid the defense will be over/near the ball. I have faith that Coach Johnson will figure it out though. The other DE seems to have some great, young options, and I feel good that one of them will emerge. For some reason, I sense Hubbard will be that guy. Whoever it is will have a chance to do a lot of damage given the attention Bosa will draw on the other side.

LB: I have no concerns about this group. (How long has it been since we could say that?) Lee is a proven playmaker all over, and Perry is a tackling machine around the LOS. I felt Raekwon made more impact plays than Curtis Grant last year, and he should step into the middle seamlessly, and actually make them better.

DB: No concerns about Bell, Powell, and Apple. That other CB will get a lot of balls thrown at him, and is the only other question mark for the defense. Ohio State has to have an outstanding year from whoever that guy eventually is.

If Ohio State gets good production from a DT and a CB, I think we will be talking about winning games on the defensive side of the ball again. My concern about Urban's offense has been that they play fast, score fast, and put their defense on the field a lot - and a tired defense that is trying to protect a 20 point lead isn't as good at, or as motivated to, hold teams down. But I did notice that when Cardale took over, they went to a power running/downfield passing style, took 30 sec to run a play, and the defense seemed to do better. I will be interested to see how fast Ohio State plays on offense this year, and how that affects the defense. I suspect that we will see the HUNH at times, but not as the main tempo.

I would have to think carefully, but I'm not sure I have ever seen an Ohio State team this loaded with talent and depth on both sides of the ball. The comparable would probably be the 96 and 98 teams.

All of this I agree with. Like you mentioned we score fast, score often, and sometimes can put our boys on Defense in a bad spot but this is where we need to start rotating people to keep people fresh. Sure the drop off might be noticeable at first but as players get more comfortable playing in the bright lights and start to settle in I think down the road it will really pay off as we will be fresh and HEALTHY (like RB just mentioned). I thought for the most part we did not rotate very much last year and IMO we have the talent but just lack the experience. Well my friends there's only one way to fix that issue, and obviously it's just to put guys out there and hope they start to settle in with more reps that they get. A lot of times it's just a confidence thing and once the players that are given a shot make a play or two they become monsters themselves.

Besides lets say for a series we roll with this front 7

Hubbard-Washington-Hall-Holmes up front and Hilliard-Raekwon-Perry at LB (giving Bosa/Lee/Schutt/Lewis a breather) will it really matter considering we are going to average 45+ points a game? Besides this group I just listed is plenty MORE than talented enough to hold their own for 5-6 plays in a given drive.

Not to mention a secondary group that we can roll with Apple-Bell-Smith-Lattimore (resting Powell/Conley) we still have guys like Burrows/Webb and on to give people breathers.

We will start to run into issues with convincing people to come here despite log jams at their positions if we don't start to rotate players a little bit more and just not when the games get ugly. Plus when we lose players to injury/graduation/early departure we will just roll with another player who will have adequate enough experience and not green and needing to step up.

Overall this defense has the potential to be a top 5 defense and considering what opposing defenses will be dealing with all year (most likely a record breaking offense) we have the potential to really embarrass teams this year. Because unlike the last 3-4 years were we give up good amounts of points to teams we may be beating teams 56-10 or 59-7 instead of 56-27 type of scores.

 

[OSUK]

All of this I agree with. Like you mentioned we score fast, score often, and sometimes can put our boys on Defense in a bad spot but this is where we need to start rotating people to keep people fresh. Sure the drop off might be noticeable at first but as players get more comfortable playing in the bright lights and start to settle in I think down the road it will really pay off as we will be fresh and HEALTHY (like RB just mentioned). I thought for the most part we did not rotate very much last year and IMO we have the talent but just lack the experience. Well my friends there's only one way to fix that issue, and obviously it's just to put guys out there and hope they start to settle in with more reps that they get. A lot of times it's just a confidence thing and once the players that are given a shot make a play or two they become monsters themselves.

Besides lets say for a series we roll with this front 7

Hubbard-Washington-Hall-Holmes up front and Hilliard-Raekwon-Perry at LB (giving Bosa/Lee/Schutt/Lewis a breather) will it really matter considering we are going to average 45+ points a game? Besides this group I just listed is plenty MORE than talented enough to hold their own for 5-6 plays in a given drive.

Not to mention a secondary group that we can roll with Apple-Bell-Smith-Lattimore (resting Powell/Conley) we still have guys like Burrows/Webb and on to give people breathers.

We will start to run into issues with convincing people to come here despite log jams at their positions if we don't start to rotate players a little bit more and just not when the games get ugly. Plus when we lose players to injury/graduation/early departure we will just roll with another player who will have adequate enough experience and not green and needing to step up.

Overall this defense has the potential to be a top 5 defense and considering what opposing defenses will be dealing with all year (most likely a record breaking offense) we have the potential to really embarrass teams this year. Because unlike the last 3-4 years were we give up good amounts of points to teams we may be beating teams 56-10 or 59-7 instead of 56-27 type of scores.

We would have to hope that platooning would work better than it did for Kentucky basketball last year. LOL.

It's a great idea and you noted the benefits. I especially like having young players play meaningful minutes so they are ready when it comes their turn. I think the sticking point would be the coaches asking themselves, "Do we really not want Joey Bosa, D Lee, etc. on the field for several series a game?" It's a pretty good question. I think you have to do it if a team is going to run 40-45 plays on you a half. Otherwise, those guys should be able to play 50 snaps.

I would prefer Urban help solve this problem from the other side of the ball by doing what they did the last 3 games: snap the ball every 25-30 seconds with a few hurry ups thrown in here and there. It's more about efficiency and execution. Some of these teams seem to run a lot of plays for the sake of running a lot of plays. It seems D coordinators have caught up with that anyway.

 

[Hstead]

Couldn't agree more with OSUK. I couldn't disagree more with Lee being left off of the Butkus Watch list. Just what he needed though, another reason to go out and prove just how damn good he is. He will play like his hair is on fire as if he didn't alread.

 

[cincibuck]

The more I watch the games starting with Michigan State through the CFP CG the more I appreciate what Michael Bennett brought to that defense. Those are some very big shoes to fill.

So far in the 2000s we've won two NCs with a C. Grant on defense. Will D. Grant do?