One year ago, Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano spent the spring and summer watching sophomore Jordan Fuller and senior Erick Smith compete to replace Malik Hooker as the Buckeyes’ strong safety. That competition didn’t wrap up in time for the season opener, and in fact it continued a little ways into the season.
The sound of silence finally ended on Monday as Ohio State’s acting head coach Ryan Day and defensive coordinator Greg Schiano spoke with the media about what the last month has been like, and they also answered a ton of personnel questions that have been brewing since Spring ball ended. There was a lot said and plenty…
Every season brings new breakout stars in college football, which is one of the reasons we all love it so much. And while the stars get the attention, every team needs different players to step up and fill voids. They aren’t necessarily looking at these players to become stars, they just need them to be reliable and productive.
We’ve established that projecting football things in the summer is a good way to pass the time until the games begin (Examples here, here, here, and here). In addition, I’m not above thievery on this website. Brandon had a promising idea, predicting offensive stats, so I’m flat out stealing it and simply moving it to the other side of the ball.
Every defense has playmakers, but the great ones have more than anybody else. The Buckeyes had one of those defenses in 2016, with five defenders scoring a total of seven touchdowns. That defense also had 21 interceptions — compared to just 13 last year — which was the most since the 25 they had when they…
The photo above is of Malik Hooker, who arguably had the greatest single season for an Ohio State safety in school history. As a redshirt sophomore in 2016, Hooker finished third on the team with 74 tackles and seventh on the team with three touchdowns. He also happened to lead the Big Ten with seven interceptions, and…
It is sometimes forgotten that unlike most college students, the summer is not a time off for college football players. Even while still taking classes at this time, the summer is one of the most important times for football players to develop and prepare for their upcoming season. It is essential for players to be in the weight…
I am now in possession of two preseason college football magazines. My annual process is to buy Athlon’s B1G issue, because that’s usually the first one on the shelves. Then a week or two later, Lindy’s national magazine will appear, and I’ll purchase that one as well. Those two will then tide me over until Phil Steele’s tome…
When Chris Ash brought his Quarters defense to Ohio State, it also brought a change in basic philosophies. There was no more matching up strong sides and weak sides. Now it was about the boundary and the field. The Sam linebacker now defends the field — or wide side, and the Will covers the boundary — or short side.
Every year, the Ohio State defensive line sets goals, and one of those goals is usually to be the best defensive line in school history. That’s normally a tall order, but one that shouldn’t be dismissed. Along with lofty goals, each season also sees an Ohio State defensive front that is loaded with talent. The alchemy…
