Should the Ohio State Buckeyes Really be B1G Favorites?

Defense

Luckily for the Buckeyes, while the offense may take a hit, the defense returns a ton of starters. The strength of the unit was by far the rush defense, allowing only 3.29 yards per attempt and only 109.4 yards per game, and six of the front seven are back.

Sep 7, 2013; Columbus, OH, USA; San Diego State Aztecs quarterback Quinn Kaehler (18) fumbles the ball is he is sacked by Ohio State Buckeyes defensive linemen Noah Spence (8) and Michael Bennett (63) at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won the game 42-7. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

Starting up front, the entire defensive line is back. And this is an incredible front line, with three guys who had 7 sacks in junior defensive end Noah Spence, sophomore end Joey Bosa, who had 7.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for a loss as a freshman, and senior Michael Bennett, who lined up in the middle and still racked up 7 sacks, 30 tackles, 11.5 tackles for a loss, and 3 forced fumbles. Junior tackle Adolphus Washington was good as well, putting up 27 tackles, 4 tackles for a loss, and 2 sacks. This could be the best defensive line in college football this year with everybody back and lots more experience, and the rotation will be deep. Senior Steve Miller was involved last year with 6 tackles for a loss and 3 sacks, and he’ll be as much a factor in the rotation as the other guys. Junior Chris Carter saw limited action last year and still managed a sack, and standing at 6’4″ 342 pounds, he provides an amazing size to blow up the front. Meyer’s got six other guys that can be in the rotation as well, including three freshmen, so expect this unit to be the anchor for the entire defense.

The problem for the Buckeyes defense is that the front line was the only anchor last year for the unit, and that can’t be the same this year. The linebacker corps. has most players back, but it loses Ryan Shazier, by far the only proven good player in the unit with 123 tackles, 7 sacks, 23.5 tackles for a loss, and 4 forced fumbles. He wasn’t just good, he was great, and there’s nobody to replace him. Junior Joshua Perry and senior Curtis Grant were productive last year with a combined 89 tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss, 3 sacks, and 4 passes broken up, but they had lots of help from Shazier and a dominating line. There aren’t any proven coverage linebackers in this unit, so while the rush defense is stacked, the passing defense will still be a problem, as it was last year. Junior Camren Williams and sophomore Trey Johnson will be in the rotation as well, and both also are very good players who have experience, but that won’t be enough to replace Shazier. Luckily, Meyer already has five other guys and three freshmen that could see the field this year. Look for him to possibly turn to 5-star Raekwon McMillan, who could immediately step in and become a superstar. He’s that good and will be the only chance for Ohio State to not struggle here this year with Shazier gone. Dante Booker and Kyle Berger are two other freshmen who could see the field as well. Meyer’s recruiting will upgrade the linebacker corps. for the future, but there is still a coverage problem here, and with inexperienced talent coming in to fix it, a slight drop-off on the line has to be expected.

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The secondary was by far the worst part of the unit that got exposed severely last year at the end of the season, being the sole reason for the last two losses. Let’s be honest, they weren’t just bad, they were pathetic. Because of that, the loss of three secondary players actually hardly means anything. The Buckeyes aren’t losing any real productivity. I’d say good riddance to C.J. Barnett, Bradley Roby, and Corey Brown. Senior Doran Grant is back and was actually pretty decent last year with 10 passes broken up and 3 interceptions, but he was part of that embarrassment to end the season. Now he’s got to improve, step up, and lead a young group of guys coming in to start. Sophomore Vonn Bell has the potential to be a breakout superstar this year after playing sparingly as a freshman last year. Listen for his name a lot this year and look for him to be all over the field. He will be the breakout player of the group. Junior Armani Reeves and sophomore Tyvis Powell will also be in the rotation, but they struggled as much as the starters last year in those three games. They do not deserve the right to start anywhere. At safety, Meyer will have to turn to junior Ron Tanner, who was decent in limited action but doesn’t have a very high ceiling. Devan Bogard, meanwhile, will likely be the other starter at safety and could turn into a star. Look for cornerback Cam Burrows to have a possible breakout season as well after playing 12 games as a freshman last year and lots of potential. There are also six freshmen in the rotation, and any of them could work their way into the starting lineup. This group is nowhere near as experienced as last year’s but it is deeper, there’s more raw talent, and you can’t get much worse than it was at the end of the year. Therefore, despite the losses, I’m predicting a slight improvement in the secondary, though it will still struggle.

The defense as a whole should be a little better this year. It had its problems in the passing game, but new and young talent with lots of potential should help that. The rush defense will be a little better than it was last year with everybody back, but even as loaded as it is, the woes in the passing game kept the defense from being that good. Those won’t be solved this year with just a little improvement, so expect the unit to still struggle as a whole when it goes up against good quarterbacks.