Football
Playmaking OSU Defense Putting own Mantra in Jeopardy
By Brandon CastelNo names, no blame, no worries.
It has been the motto of the Ohio State defense since the start of fall camp, but after four games it is already in danger of becoming obsolete.
Having lost a number of big-name players from last year’s defense – none more consequential than Butkus Award-winning linebacker James Laurinaitis and Thorpe Award-winning cornerback Malcolm Jenkins – the Buckeyes opened the 2009 season with five new starters on the defensive side of the football, including four in the back seven.
Of the six returning starters on defense, only one had garnered any post-season all-conference honors, as senior safety Kurt Coleman was named to the second-team all-Big Ten last season.
Few college football fans outside the Big Ten footprint were even aware of Coleman’s existence, let alone the other 10 starters who took the field for Ohio State in the season-opener against Navy. Yet after four games, the Buckeyes are ranked seventh in scoring defense (10.3 points per game), and they are coming off back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 1996.
“We just say that we’re gonna be scrappy,” said junior Brian Rolle, who took over for Laurinaitis at middle linebacker this season.
“A defense that’s going to run around and not worry about making mistakes; no names, just going out and having fun.”
The having-fun part does not appear to be a problem for this group, as they were jumping around and dancing in the pouring rain at Ohio Stadium Saturday. Maintaining their anonymity on defense, however, could prove to be an issue with too many more performances like the five-sack, three-interception game they had against Juice Williams the Fighting Illini this past week.
“I guess you get as your work deserves, but even if that started going around, (people) talking about this defense – obviously that’s something we want – but things are going to remain the same,” defensive end Thad Gibson said.
“That’s what got us here and that’s what’s going to get us (where we want to be).”
While Gibson and the veteran defensive line have set the tone for Ohio State’s defense as a whole, it’s first-year starter Brian Rolle that has quickly become the team’s biggest playmaker on that side of the ball. Along with his eight tackles Saturday, Rolle picked off an early pass from Juice in the red zone that altered the momentum of the game at a crucial moment.
“Those turnovers were critical. B.Rolle does a great job dropping. He does a great job on the run. He's playing well,” Defensive Coordinator Jim Heacock said after the 30-0 victory over Illinois.
After starring on special teams for the last two seasons, the 5-foot-11 linebacker out of Florida currently leads the Buckeyes with 33 total tackles this season. A number that puts him on pace for over 107 tackles this year, assuming OSU makes it to a bowl game.
Despite his small stature, Rolle also had a similar interception in the season-opener against Navy on a failed 2-point conversion play that would have tied the game late in the fourth quarter. Instead, Rolle rumbled 99 yards down the left sideline into the end zone for a dramatic four-point swing that very well may have saved Ohio State’s season.
While it hasn’t exactly turned him into a household name just yet, it may not be long before Rolle starts to receive some buzz on a national level, especially if he continues to make game-changing plays for the Buckeyes. That might violate the no-name pact of the defense, but it won’t change their no-blame philosophy.
“B.Rolle is a humble guy. We’re not really worried about him going outside the lines. He’s very humble guy. He likes to laugh a lot and play a lot, he’s like a kid,” said safety Jermale Hines, who accounted for one of OSU’s other two picks against Illinois.
But Rolle and Hines aren’t the only two players making a name for themselves on the defense. Everywhere you look, there seem to be guys stepping up to make big plays. On the back end, Kurt Coleman leads the team with 19 solo tackles and three forced fumbles. He also has an interception and is second only to Rolle with 29 total stops.
There is no question, however, that what really makes this OSU defense go, and what makes it different than the last three, is the play of the guys up front. Early on, it was junior Cam Heyward who looked unstoppable while lining up both inside and outside on the defensive line. Captain Doug Worthington appears to be on the verge of a career-defining senior season, and that’s to say nothing of Gibson and Lawrence Wilson, both of whom had their best individual games of the season Saturday against Illinois.
“I think the trademark of this group is team,” Heacock said.
“I don't know that anybody is standing out. It's a different guy every game. I thought that Thad stepped it up today. Lawrence had a couple of nice plays which he needed to get his confidence back, but it seems like it's different players every game that are stepping up that it's certainly a team effort.”
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