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10 | Ohio State Buckeyes" title="Ohio State Buckeyes"/> | Ohio State Big Ten | 2009 Schedule |
This article appears in the August 17, 2009 issue of Sports Illustrated
High turnover in the lineup isn't unusual, nor does it faze the perennial Big Ten power.
Senior strong safety Kurt Coleman has firsthand experience with the Buckeyes' ability to reload quickly. In 2007 he was one of six new starters on a defense that lifted Ohio State from fifth in the nation in scoring defense in 2006 to first. "Obviously, our coaches don't just get the starters ready to play," Coleman says.
Overall, 23 Buckeyes were taken in the 2005-08 NFL drafts, yet the program has hardly missed a beat: Ohio State has won at least 10 games in each of the last four years, played for the national championship twice and been to two other BCS bowls. This annual rite of rejuvenation is the primary reason why, despite the loss of 11 starters from the '08 team, Ohio State is the pick to win its fifth straight Big Ten title. (The Buckeyes shared the crown with Penn State in '05 and '08.)
The 5-11, 188-pound Coleman, a ferocious hitter, led the Buckeyes with four interceptions last season and is the team's top returning tackler. Coleman, who finished with double-digit tackles in each of the Buckeyes' final three games last season, will have to take charge of a defense that lost a pair of All-America playmakers in cornerback Malcolm Jenkins and middle linebacker James Laurinaitis.
Help will come from a defensive line that has three of four starters back and, after finishing 18th in the country against the run last year, the potential to be dominant again. For example, what 6-2, 240-pound junior end Thaddeus Gibson lacks in size, he makes up for with quick feet and a motor that doesn't stop; the converted linebacker led Ohio State with five sacks last season. The experienced line should take pressure off senior middle linebacker Austin Spitler, who after spending four years as the understudy to Laurinaitis finally gets his shot. "He really hasn't played a game yet," says defensive coordinator Jim Heacock. "But he's very intense and tough, like [Laurinaitis], and seems to be seizing the opportunity."
The entire defense will have to be primed from the get-go while sophomore quarterback Terrelle Pryor adjusts to seven new starters on offense. Among the newcomers to the lineup is 5-10, 193-pound sophomore tailback Daniel (Boom) Herron, who has a running style to match his nickname. That's a good thing because USC is coming to Columbus on Sept. 12. A victory over the Trojans would set the stage for the Buckeyes' run at a third BCS Championship Game appearance in four years.
-- Mark Beech
Issue date: August 17, 2009
