Harrison, Borland Step In And Step Up In Blowout Win

“Next man up” has been a mantra for Ohio State football for all of Urban Meyer’s tenure. But coming off a 55-24 loss to Iowa, it was really put to the test.

Starting linebackers Jerome Baker and Dante Booker both sat out the Buckeyes’ 48-3 win over Michigan State due to injuries, and while the game ended up a laugher, the coach was not even a little amused when he first heard the news earlier in the week.

“That was awful,” Meyer said after the game. “Two guys that are starters go down. Had someone checked with me on Thursday morning, that was not a good deal.”

As it turned out, the head coach had nothing to worry about. Freshman Tuf Borland and sophomore Malik Harrison stepped into the starting lineup, middle linebacker Chris Worley moved outside, and a unit that struggled to stop anything a week earlier went from impotent to nearly invincible.

“Wednesday, we were in a meeting and I didn’t see Book(er) come out,” said Harrison. “Right there, that’s when they told me I might be starting.”

For Harrison, a Columbus native, the chance to start for the Buckeyes ranked as one of the most exciting moments of his life.

“It’s gotta be number one. First time starting in the Shoe. It was a great experience for me,” said Harrison. “I was nervous when we were first jogging out there. But after the first play, the nerves just went away.”

Harrison finished the day with six tackles and a sack, while Borland put up a team-high 11 tackles and a sack of his own.

“Certainly, Book and Bake, we miss them, but that’s something this program prides itself on, is just stepping in and being ready,” said Borland.

Meyer was quick to credit the OSU coaching staff, as well as Worley. The senior not only had to move outside, but also had to serve as a leader for his young teammates.

“I thought Coach (Billy) Davis and Coach (Greg) Schiano did a great job getting those guys ready,” said Meyer. “Worley played a brand new position today. But that’s a leader, a captain, a guy that’s been around a while. That’s what you would expect out of a guy like that.”

Harrison said Worley was confident all week.

“Once he found out, he wasn’t even worried,” said Harrison. “He just knew that we were going to be ready to get out there and play.”

Borland said he was ready to play the Spartans as soon as the loss in Iowa City ended.

“Obviously coming off a loss like last week, it was one of those things where you couldn’t play soon enough,” he said. “We came off the field, and Sunday we wanted to get back after it. We wanted to practice, we wanted to get that taste out of our mouth, and this certainly helps.”