Spring Intro – Defensive Line
In an effort to help, I will continue with the budget graphic illustrations. They help me reconcile the Buckeyes performance over the past few years. Let me know how you feel about them.
Let’s start with what I consider the most basic defensive line statistic: rush yards against per game. Most defensive tackles are not sack machines. They clog two gaps and break down running games. Sure, many ends are terrors off the edge, but in college football, where quarterbacks are more mobile, the ends top job is to stop the run.
The Ohio State defense
improved against the rush on per play and per game
bases. I think the Buckeyes faced higher quality
rushing teams in 2006, but I view these statistics as
equivalent over then last two season. But what about
2003 and 2005? Was the talent level that much better
in those years? The 2003 yards per game stat is
ridiculously low.
Curiously, tackles for loss were down for the
defensive line last year, even though they were up
for the entire defense.
I fin this strange. There
are certainly instances where the linemen occupy
blockers so the linebackers can make plays, but I
never got that sense last season. In fact, there were
times were I questioned who the consistent members of
the front four were beyond Gholston. I also did not
get the impression that OSU employed that many run
blitzes. This number could also be reflective of the
quality of the linebacking corp and their ability to
read plays.
The same trend occurred with sacks. Up for the team,
down for the line. This is even more surprising when
you realize that Gholston had such a huge season and
that Heacock did not call as many blitzes as most
fans would like.
There are many small
explanations for this trend, but the stats are the
stats, and I think you should have them. Which leads
us to the fall of ’08.
This season: With perennial
backfield entrant Vernon Gholston headed to the
League, what type of production should we expect from
the D-Line this season: about the same, in my
opinion. Obviously, the major play maker is gone, but
the experience and the depth are much better because
of the minimal losses along the two-deep. Whether the
numbers improve in 2008 will depend largely on the
schemes they run, but I think we can expect some
improvement.
The starters: Lawrence Wilson is a
serious talent. How well recovers from his broken leg
remains to be seen, though. If he regains his
previous form and his considerable potential,
Gholston’s loss will be far less noticeable. At
the other end is my personal favorite, Cameron
Heyward. Does everyone else get the sense he is going
to become a household (college football) name this
season? I could go on and on, but if Heyward makes
the traditional big leap between freshman and
sophomore year, he is going to be scary. This pair is
definitely under the radar nationally and should be a
pleasant surprise for Buckeye Nation.
The tackles are exactly the same as last season, for
better or worse. They are all serviceable, but I do
not see a star in the group. Doug Worthington’s
6’7” frame is back to lad the group
(would you believe he deflected exactly one pass last
season?). Nader Abdallah, Dexter Larimore, and Todd
Denlinger will also see a lot of playing time in the
middles. Is one DT better than the others? If so, I
cannot tell.
The reserves: We just discussed the
main backup DTs. Garrett Goebel arrives this fall and
could provide some support if he shows up in shape.
At defensive end, the depth chart is thin. With Alex
Barrow’s departure, Robert Rose is the only
viable backup option at DE this spring. Thaddeus
Gibson may move down in the fall, and there are a
couple other options as well, but none that are
really enticing. Another opening game injury would be
trouble. Willie Mobley may be able to help this fall.
