OSU Buckeyes

Ohio State already had started paying more competitive salaries for assistant coaches before Urban Meyer arrived in November 2011.

But when Meyer and athletic director Gene Smith sat down to discuss staff pay, Smith soon realized he needed to do more.

"I think Michigan had stepped up with their coordinators," Smith recalled last week during Big Ten spring meetings in Chicago. "So we were already going to that before Urban Meyer came, but we bumped it up a little more. Any time there's change, you have that opportunity."

"Everyone's always focused on head coaches' salaries," Smith continued. "That's always the thing. But really when you look at the changes, it's really been assistants' salaries across the country -- not just in the SEC, but the Big 12, Pac-12, all across the country."

The Big Ten is part of the change, too, as the league is allocating more money toward football assistants than ever before. The Detroit Free Press has an excellent look at Big Ten assistants' salaries, complete with a database that includes 10 of the 12 current members (Northwestern doesn't submit salaries as a private institution, and Penn State doesn't have to because of state laws).

The Free Press found that eight of the 10 schools are paying more for assistants in 2013 than they did in 2012 (only Indiana and Illinois are not). There are some significant total increases, such as Wisconsin (up $558,000), Nebraska (up $518,500), Purdue ($400,000) and Minnesota ($355,000). Staff pay had been an issue at Wisconsin, which lost six assistant coaches following the 2012 Rose Bowl, and at Purdue, which paid less for its staff during the Danny Hope era than any Big Ten school.

The total trend among the 10 schools is an increase of $1,720,852.24 for 2013.

Ohio State and Michigan remain No. 1 and No. 2 in Big Ten staff salary, as the Buckeyes allocate $3.416 million and the Wolverines allocate $2.805 million. Nebraska and Wisconsin make the biggest moves in the league for 2013, as the Huskers rise from sixth to third and the Badgers rise from seventh to fourth.

Illinois, which replaced five assistants from the 2012 team, including co-offensive coordinators Chris Beatty and Billy Gonzales, dropped from third in staff pay ($2.314 million) to eighth ($2.065 million).

The database shows that nearly every Big Ten assistant with "coordinator" in his title -- whether he's the sole coordinator or a co-coordinator -- will earn north of $300,000 for 2013. Only 18 assistants listed will make less than $200,000 in 2013 -- 15 work for Minnesota, Illinois, Purdue and Indiana.


Some notes:

• Although Wisconsin paid former offensive coordinator Paul Chryst good coin, the school has increased its commitment for Gary Andersen's staff, not only with the coordinators but with some coveted position coaches like running backs coach Thomas Hammock ($300,000).
• All of Nebraska's assistants are earning $200,000 or more for 2013, but there's a huge drop-off between Beck and the next highest-paid assistant (defensive coordinator John Papuchis at $310,000).
• Michigan State has a similar drop off between Narduzzi and co-offensive coordinators Dave Warner ($270,000) and Jim Bollman ($260,000). Warner will be the primary offensive play-caller and has been on Mark Dantonio's staff since 2006, while Bollman is a newcomer.
• Although Michigan is paying top dollar for its coordinators, the school gets its assistants for a relative bargain. Receivers coach/recruiting coordinator Jeff Hecklinski will earn $225,000 in 2013, while the others all will earn $205,000. Ohio State, meanwhile, pays all but one of its assistants $286,000 or more.
• The Big Ten's three lowest-paid assistants all are in their first years: Illinois wide receivers coach Mike Bellamy ($125,000) and Purdue linebackers coach Marcus Freeman and running backs coach Jafar Williams (both at $120,000).
• Although schools like Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa ($325,000) pay their coordinators the exact same amount, others have slight differences in salary. Purdue's Shoop makes $5,000 more than defensive coordinator Greg Hudson. Minnesota defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys ($340,000) makes $5,000 more than offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover. Wonder if that leads to any underlying jealousy?
• Most Big Ten schools have assistant salaries in round numbers, but there are some interesting totals from Indiana, which pays co-offensive coordinators Seth Littrell and Kevin Johns $255,500.04 and new recruiting coordinator/assistant defensive line coach James Patton $173,740.08. Never know when that change can come in handy.

The Big Ten still lacks some of the OMG totals seen in the SEC -- LSU is paying new offensive coordinator Cam Cameron $3.4 million in the next three years -- but the overall trend puts the league more on par with what we're seeing nationally.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- There were two versions of Ryan Shazier, and each had roughly half a season to show what it could do.

One was completely healthy, freakishly fast for a linebacker and relied heavily on that athleticism to mask some issues in his understanding of the position.

The other was slowed by injury, robbed of some of that trademark speed, forced to both grind his way through the schedule while in pain and find ways to make up the difference mentally when not at his best physically.

Given the choice between those options, though, Ohio State would rather have the latter at its disposal given the way a banged-up Shazier finished the season after first feeling discomfort in the sixth game of the year -- and then watching his production actually go up as the speed went down. But what it really wants is for Shazier to combine those two guys into one scary package as he rebuilds himself following surgery for a sports hernia, which could put him in line to become the program’s next elite player at a position that has churned out more than a few of them.

(Read full post)

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Braxton Miller collected his Big Ten offensive player of the year trophy in Indianapolis on the day of the league championship game last December. Since he took part in a halftime ceremony, Miller stuck around to watch Wisconsin whip Nebraska, 70-31, to clinch a Rose Bowl berth.

Of course, the Ohio State quarterback couldn't help but think about how his team had beaten both Big Ten title game participants.

"I got kind of upset watching it, because it was a different type of game than what I was expecting," Miller told ESPN.com. "I thought it would have been a different type of story if we were there."

Linebacker Ryan Shazier, like a lot of other Buckeyes, had similar feelings as he watched the BCS championship game between Notre Dame and Alabama about a month later.

"To be honest, I was feeling sick," Shazier said. "Because I felt like we had a great team and we should have been in the game. I feel like if everybody who had to watch that game can keep that in their head this year, it's going to push us to another level."

Ohio State completed just the sixth undefeated season in school history in 2012, and there are reminders all around the team's football complex about the achievement. There's a huge "Undefeated" sign in the main entrance, a banner for the 2012 season hanging in the indoor practice facility next to ones celebrating national championships, and signs proclaiming Lane Avenue near campus as "12-0" row. Players and coaches from last year's team received rings fit for a champion last week.

Of course, the Buckeyes couldn't play for a Big Ten championship or go to a bowl because of NCAA probation. And they say that's a big reason why they're not dwelling on their accomplishments but rather looking forward this offseason.

"Yeah, we went 12-0, but it didn't really mean much," receiver Corey "Philly" Brown said. "It's not like we won anything. I feel like none of our team got a taste of what it feels like to be playing for a national championship. That makes us more hungry to get there."

Along with the reminders of last year, head coach Urban Meyer had another banner put up in the football complex this spring with the slogan "The Chase." That was his not-so subtle message to the players to keep striving toward new goals. But Meyer said he hasn't noticed any sense of complacency with this group.

"I've watched for that," he said. "I've had our strength coach [Mickey Marotti] watch for that. I don't feel it. If I did, I'd jump in the middle of it."

Meyer's biggest concern this spring has been identifying new leaders. Outside of left tackle Jack Mewhort, he wasn't sure which players would fill the shoes of seniors like John Simon and Zach Boren from last year. He has brought in weekly guest speakers to talk to the team this spring about leadership, and he's hoping guys like Miller, Shazier, Brown and defensive backs C.J. Barnett, Christian Bryant and Bradley Roby take on those roles. Of course, Meyer had similar worries about last year's team at this time, and it ended up having what he calls one of the best group of leaders he's ever coached. So that figures to work itself out.

The young front seven on defense also presents question marks, as Shazier is the only returning starter among the defensive line and linebacker units. But sophomores Adolphus Washington and Noah Spence showed with their combined seven sacks in the spring game that Ohio State is blessed with talented options up front, even if there might be a learning curve at work.

"We're going to have to live with some mistakes," defensive coordinator Luke Fickell said. "But our job as coaches is to say, 'Hey, what can they handle?'"

Will these Buckeyes be able to handle the increased expectations and pressure in 2013? Last year, they began the year ranked No. 18 in the Associated Press poll and weren't eligible to receive votes in the coaches' rankings. Even as they continued to win, they mostly operated outside of the limelight because of their absence from the national title hunt. This year, the spotlight will be on them from Day 1, as they should open the season in the top 5.

"We're definitely going to be a huge target," running back Carlos Hyde said. "We're back to where Ohio State usually is, which is the No. 1 team on the schedule that teams want to beat. It lets us know that we just can't come out and roll our helmets out and expect to beat a team."

The target is larger, but so too is the goal. The shackles of probation are off, and if Ohio State can pull off a repeat undefeated season, odds are its players won't be watching the national championship game from afar next January. Roby, the team's All-American cornerback, is confident that will happen. He says that "last year was the commercial, and this year is the movie."

"We've got the talent, and I'm not going to say the schedule is easier, but we don't play Nebraska and we don't play Michigan State," he said. "It's set up in our favor. All we have to do is go out there and keep grinding."

Adolphus Washington is a huge part of Ohio State's future on defense, but he hasn't forgotten the Buckeyes' recent past.

Asked to identify his top goal during spring practice, Washington made sure to give a nod to the man who showed him the way in 2012.

"To fill the shoes of John Simon," Washington told ESPN.com. "I know those are some big shoes to fill. I'm just working my hardest to try and do that."

Many would say Washington, a 6-foot-3, 292-pound defensive end, boasts more natural ability than Simon, the 2012 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. He undoubtedly came to Columbus as a more decorated recruit, rated as the nation's 65th-best player and No. 7 defensive end in the 2012 class, according RecruitingNation. (Simon had no national ranking when he arrived in 2009.)

But Simon maximized every ounce of talent he had during an exceptional Buckeyes career, earning respect from teammates, fans and coaches, including Urban Meyer, who put Simon in a select category of players he has coached (he hangs Simon's and Tim Tebow's jerseys in his office at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center). He attacked the weight room and practices the same way he did the game field on fall Saturdays, and everyone took notice, including a young defensive lineman from Cincinnati.

"His competitive spirit, that's the biggest thing," Washington said. "I'm pretty athletic, and I've got a lot of things God blessed me with to play football, but his competitive spirit is what I take away the most."

Washington is part of a new-look Buckeyes defensive line that must replace Simon and three other starters (tackles Johnathan Hankins and Garrett Goebel, and end Nathan Williams). As a true freshman, Washington appeared in 10 games, logging 156 plays and recording three sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a blocked kick.

He recorded two of the sacks in Ohio State's final three games.

"My first game when I went out there, things were just lightning fast," Washington said. "But as the year went on, it kind of slowed down. Now I'm just out there playing, out there competing."

Washington has the size and skills to play both line spots but has been practicing this spring at defensive end. He'll likely start opposite fellow true sophomore Noah Spence, who logged 237 plays last season, the most among the Buckeyes' returning linemen.

"He's learning how to do some other things, like moving down inside at times and things that aren't as natural to him," defensive coordinator Luke Fickell told colleague Brian Bennett. "He's very athletic out on the edge, and he's getting a lot better in different situations and things we've asked him to do, like being one of the inside fit guys."

Spence and Washington headlined Meyer's first recruiting class at Ohio State, which included arguably the best defensive line haul in the country. They live in the same dorm as freshmen and have talked about getting a place together off campus for the next academic year. Washington said Spence will "probably be one of my best friends for life."

The two typically are mentioned in the same sentence when it comes to football, and they form the foundation for Ohio State's future along the D-line.

"Noah brings the athleticism and the speed," Washington said, "and I can bring the speed and the power. But Noah also has power. Noah's a lot stronger than he looks. We bring the same things."

Spence has drawn rave reviews for his play throughout the spring, and Washington seems to be making strides in recent weeks. Meyer, who describes Washington as a "wonderful person," said the lineman always grades high in terms of attitude and effort but lacked a chip on his shoulder.

"He's not an angry player," Meyer said. "The position he plays, you have to play angry. You can see that starting to come out these last three or four practices."

Ohio State's spring game has added meaning for Washington, who returns to his hometown and will take the field Saturday at Paul Brown Stadium. The defensive line will be in the spotlight as many are interested to see how the replacement project is going.

"We get reminded about it every day," Washington said. "We just go out there and try to show the guys returning on defense, Coach Meyer, Coach Fickell, that we can fill the shoes and be just like they were."

Washington already has a believer on the offense in a guy he often faces in practice.

"He's obviously got all the physical tools, he's blessed," Buckeyes left tackle Jack Mewhort said. "I see him coming along every day. That chip on his shoulder, people may have not have seen that before, but I can definitely see that more as spring ball goes.

"If he keeps going in the right direction, he's going to be a force to be reckoned with in this conference."

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Maybe it looks like a leisurely pace for spring practice.

Ohio State reported back to work earlier than it seems to have ever done, knocked out a couple workouts and then took a week off for spring break.

But don’t be fooled by the number of afternoons on the practice field or the temporary pause in drills that the reporting date and the academic calendar combined to give the Buckeyes. While the actual number of practices can’t change, the coaching staff can do a bit of massaging with how it uses those 15 dates -- and the benefits for the young Buckeyes are perhaps best measured instead in weeks and hours during camp.

“We felt it was really important, especially with this outfit, to get the 20-hour work week as often as we can,” Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said. “That means Monday, Wednesday and Friday we get a significant amount of meeting time. Then when we get back we’re going to go [practice] on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday again.

“Why? Because we get three days of a lot of meeting time, which is obviously [helpful] with where we’re at with a lot of youth in spots on our football team. We’ll have four-hour meeting days on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It’s significant, the first time I’ve done it, and so far I love it.”

Meyer hasn’t had long to evaluate his new approach yet, but it only took two days and one practice for him to start raving about the potential benefits when camp officially opened last week.

The weather isn’t perfect around Ohio State’s campus in early March, so the Buckeyes were forced to move their practices indoors at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. The gap between workouts due to spring break, which a school spokesman called “unprecedented” for the program, might not be ideal, either.

(Read full post)

With national signing day in the books, the next big date on the Ohio State calendar as it continues working toward an encore for an undefeated season in 2013 is spring practice. Before those workouts begin, BuckeyeNation will take a look at each position to see where the roster is at -- and where it's going.

MIDDLE LINEBACKERS

[+] Enlarge
Joe Robbins/Getty ImagesMiddle linebacker Curtis Grant is looking to finally break through in 2014.
• Who's back: Almost as suddenly as he arrived, Zach Boren's run at middle linebacker for the Buckeyes was over. Now they're left once again to find somebody capable of quarterbacking the defense, and as remarkable as Boren's story was at the position, it also underscored just how little depth the program had there at the halfway point of last season. Curtis Grant was supposed to be the answer after winning the starting job in spring practice and keeping it throughout training camp, but the rising junior ultimately wasn't a factor for the second year in a row and was passed on the depth chart twice before finishing as a third-team afterthought. The former elite recruit still has upside, though, and the Buckeyes will be monitoring him closely in a likely battle with sophomore Camren Williams to take over that critical spot in the heart of the defense.
• New face: Trey Johnson drew praise on signing day from the Ohio State coaching staff for his advanced football intelligence, and Mike Mitchell's eye-popping athleticism is hard to ignore. Both of those traits would certainly go a long way in helping them handle a wide range of responsibilities while balancing the often challenging transition to the next level and potentially becoming an answer in the middle. But they won't be around to compete on the practice field with the rest of the linebackers until August, which certainly favors the returners.

(Read full post)

With national signing day in the books, the next big date on the Ohio State calendar as it continues working toward an encore for an undefeated season in 2013 is spring practice. Before those workouts begin, BuckeyeNation will take a look at each position to see where the roster is at -- and where it's going.

OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS

• Who's back: Only one first-teamer is returning at the second level for the Buckeyes, but Ryan Shazier is certainly a fine place to start. The junior emerged as one of the most prolific defenders in the Big Ten a year ago, and if he's not a household name around the country yet, he should be soon as the hype builds leading into next season. Shazier does need a sidekick on the other side of the formation after Etienne Sabino exhausted his eligibility, and Ohio State has a handful of rising sophomores to sort through in March and April as it reloads the front seven. Joshua Perry, David Perkins, Camren Williams and Jamal Marcus all got their feet wet in some form or fashion as freshmen, and mixing and matching to find the right spots and best combination at linebacker will be at the top of the priority list this spring.
• New face: The Buckeyes already have high hopes for the two highly touted linebackers they landed on national signing day, but they won't get to see what Mike Mitchell or Trey Johnson can do on the practice field until August. The coaching staff cast a wide net at the position a year ago, though, and the development of the second-year guys who weren't exactly regulars last fall will be critical.
• Projected spring depth chart: Shazier will be back in his familiar role at weakside linebacker, with the athletic Perkins likely filling in behind him. Perry appears to be at the head of the line to replace Sabino on the opposite side, with Perkins battling for the gig as well.
• Numbers game: The newcomers did get a taste of what college football is all about right away, but chances to contribute in meaningful situations on defense were hard to come by. Shazier and his senior counterparts rarely came off the field a year ago, and in limited work defensively and more regular appearances on special teams, the quartet of Perkins, Marcus, Perry and Williams combined for 22 tackles. That total, obviously, will have to improve dramatically -- and there will be no shortage of chances to do it.
• One to watch: The way the coaches raved about the natural ability and the tireless way Marcus competed during training camp last August, it seemed like he was poised to make a substantial impact right away. Ultimately the rigors of one of the more difficult positions to play as a true freshman seemed to slow him down, but with a full season now behind him and the benefits of spring practice now ahead of him, Marcus should be in much better position to put his skills on display and potentially work his way into more playing time as a sophomore.
• He said it: "Really, if you think about it, Shazier is the only experience we've got in the front seven coming back next year -- [only one] with a lot of experience. I think with that whole group, it's going to be an exciting time. I know I'm excited. We've got some young guys, maybe at linebacker we're a lot thinner with just depth and numbers, but it's going to be an exciting time. It's a big winter, and it's going to be a big spring." -- defensive coordinator Luke Fickell on signing day

The work for the 2013 season is already underway for Ohio State with the strength program in full swing, but the first moves that started shaping the potential encore effort from a perfect campaign began almost two months ago. BuckeyeNation is counting down the five biggest early developments for the team since last season ended and how they will impact the Buckeyes moving forward.

No. 1: Urban Meyer keeps his staff in one piece

• Development: Jobs of all kinds were open all over the country during a busy offseason in the coaching ranks, and on the heels of an undefeated season, the Buckeyes had plenty of guys in demand to fill them. There were apparently four of them, in fact, who had opportunities to move on and lead their own programs elsewhere. But there apparently wasn't anything tempting enough to prompt anybody on Urban Meyer's first staff to walk away from what Ohio State has going now, and every member of that group will be back to honor the two-year commitment the boss asked for when he took over -- and potentially make a run at a championship it couldn't compete for last season.
• What it means: There is no shortage of benefits for Meyer in keeping his collection of assistants intact for a second season, starting with the continuity it provides for the players already on campus and extending to the class of recruits that the coaches built relationships with while representing the Buckeyes. In the short term, keeping offensive coordinator Tom Herman and giving him another season to help install the uptempo spread offense should help take it to a higher level as the players get more familiar with the playbook and the pace of play. On defense, the Buckeyes won't have as many experienced players returning as the other side of the ball will have, but there's plenty of young talent and they won't have to learn a different way of doing things with Luke Fickell, Everett Withers, Mike Vrabel and Kerry Coombs all back for another season trying to restore the proud tradition of the Silver Bullets. And while maintaining the same sort of communication that had been expected by recruits from the staff is invaluable as well, there also figures to be a stronger bond and more understanding between all the members of the staff just within the meeting rooms at Ohio State. Chemistry doesn't typically happen instantly, and the coaches should be plenty comfortable with each other now.
• He said it: "The fact that our coaching staff remains intact is important. We had four guys that had some people trying to discuss head coaching opportunities for them, and I hope that happens for some of them, kind of glad it doesn’t happen after just one year. After two years -- I always ask for just a two-year commitment -- I think that’s fair." -- Meyer

The work for the 2013 season is already underway for Ohio State with the strength program in full swing, but the first moves that started shaping the potential encore effort from a perfect campaign began almost two months ago. BuckeyeNation is counting down the five biggest early developments for the team since last season ended and how they will impact the Buckeyes moving forward.

No. 3: Buckeyes land pledges at a critical position

[+] Enlarge
Miller Safrit/ESPNThe commitment of Trey Johnson on Jan. 4 gave Ohio State a much-needed shot in the arm at linebacker.
• Development: For the better part of a year, the biggest hole on Ohio State's 2013 recruiting class was the same as void that can be found on the current roster. The Buckeyes were thin enough at linebacker, but heading into January, they didn't even a single pledge at the position. It only took two days for Urban Meyer and his coaching staff to fix that this month, with a pair of ESPN 150 recruits making their intentions to sign with the Buckeyes public, as Mike Mitchell and Trey Johnson helped boost a class that's currently ranked No. 4 in the country.
• What it means: The demands of the position can make the transition from high school to the Big Ten a bit more challenging for a linebacker than it might be at a few other spots on the field, so it's difficult to project exactly how much the talented tandem might contribute right away for a team that is likely going to start the season among the top 5 programs in the country. That certainly doesn't mean Mitchell or Johnson can't be a factor, but the best-case scenario for the Buckeyes would be that they find two starters to pair with Ryan Shazier out of the group they signed a year ago -- or one guy to match with Curtis Grant if he's ready to live up to his billing coming out of high school. With Jamal Marcus, Camren Williams, David Perkins and Joshua Perry all having gone through a season, spent time learning the defense and benefitting from the upcoming work in spring practice, there are plenty of options already on hand for defensive coordinator Luke Fickell. But just in case a reminder of the importance of depth was needed, all Ohio State has to do is look at the situation it was in last season.
• Numbers game: The high school resume doesn't always offer a true reflection of the potential for a recruit, so it has to be taken with at least a couple grains of salt. But the statistics Mitchell and Johnson put on paper are hard to ignore. As a senior at Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano, Texas, Mitchell piled up 186 tackles, with 32 of them going for a loss. At Central Gwinnett in Lawrenceville, Ga., Johnson was credited with 140 takedowns. The two potential Buckeyes combined for 14 sacks.
• He said it: "At this time, we like our class. As with most classes, how you finish is what determines if you love the class. You have to hold on to what you have. There’s a lot of chaos with a lot of new staffs, new coaches trying to take your players and all that kind of stuff. We just have to keep recruiting our players and get going." -- Meyer on the homestretch for the 2013 recruiting class

Heading into the new year and offseason workouts, BuckeyeNation will look at some holes left by the departing Ohio State veterans and potential candidates to fill them.

DEFENSIVE END

[+] Enlarge
Greg Bartram/US PresswireNathan Williams made the most of his senior season in his return from a serious knee injury.
• Who: Despite hardly practicing in live situations at all during training camp and still needing to have his reps limited during the first half of the season, Nathan Williams gave the Buckeyes the kind of help up front they were hoping for as he worked back from microfracture knee surgery. Williams might not have had the kind of explosion or lateral mobility that he had before suffering the injury that wrecked his junior season, but he progressively chipped off the rust after a full year on the shelf and wound up making 40 tackles, including 3.5 for a loss. His work ethic and determination as he rehabbed might have been even more valuable for a team with a handful of talented defensive linemen behind the upperclassmen, setting an example that could stick with the program well after Williams has moved on.
• By the numbers: The numbers weren't all that impressive individually, but what they might have lacked in each specific category, Williams made up for by putting in entry in pretty much every column in the stats sheet. Among the major statistics for defensive players, Williams chipped in at least one play for each of them -- missing only a safety, a blocked kick and an interception.
• Job description: At times, Williams' role shifted between linebacker and defensive end, which requires a unique blend of athleticism and intelligence to handle the various responsibilities needed to give the Buckeyes the ability to change from 4-3 to 3-4 formations and confuse offenses. The next guy to fill the void will have to be able to play in space and win matchups in coverage against the pass, as well as be able to rush the passer when a hand on the ground when Ohio State is looking to get after the quarterback.
• Top candidates: Noah Spence wasn't quite ready to take over a first-team job during his first year on campus, but his steady emergence as a freshman helped add valuable depth up front and occasionally allowed the Buckeyes to get more creative with their packages and rotations on the line. Spence was officially listed by Ohio State as the backup to John Simon at the end of the season, but his impressive speed and size (6-foot-3, 240 pounds) that is almost identical to Williams makes him a logical choice to fill a sort of hybrid role for defensive coordinator Luke Fickell -- and perhaps take it to another level.
• One to watch: At this point it's safe to assume the Buckeyes went at least 3-for-4 with their recruiting haul up front on National Signing Day last year. Earlier in the season, Urban Meyer publicly declared Ohio State had connected on all four -- and it will be up to Se'Von Pittman to break through in the offseason to deliver the clean sweep after battling through injuries and redshirting during his first year on campus. Tommy Schutt, Adolphus Washington and Spence each had the benefit of early playing time and might have something of a head start, but Pittman has the physical tools to be a force and the Buckeyes will at least need him to supply depth.

Heading into the new year and offseason workouts, BuckeyeNation will look at some holes left by the departing Ohio State veterans and potential candidates to fill them.

LINEBACKERS

• Who: Neither senior was able to give a full season at linebacker, though it was an injury for one that helped open the door for the other to prove he was equally skilled on the defensive side of the ball after establishing himself as perhaps the best fullback in the Big Ten before that. After how much Etienne Sabino and Zach Boren offered the Buckeyes in what amounted to half of a year each, there's no question Urban Meyer would give plenty to have them back for one more run with the program -- particularly given the lingering depth concerns at the position. Boren was a natural at middle linebacker and provided invaluable leadership during a rocky defensive stretch in the middle of the season. Sabino blossomed as his career with the Buckeyes wound down, giving nearly every column on the stats sheet before a broken leg interrupted his last season. Both leave plenty of responsibilities behind, both on and off the field.

(Read full post)

Ryan Shazier was playing for more than just himself and his current teammates last weekend at Penn State.

The Ohio State linebacker switched his jersey number to 48 to honor Gary Curtis, his friend and the former manager for Shazier's Plantation (Fla.) High School football team. Curtis, who was bound to a wheelchair but always wore his No. 48 jersey to Plantation games, suffered from muscular dystrophy and died in the spring.

"He was real close to me, and I treated him like a brother," Shazier told ESPN.com. "I talked to him before all my games last year. When he left, it was really important to me just to let people know about that disorder that some people have to go through. He never got to play, and I wanted to play through him."

Shazier brought attention to his late friend with a standout performance in the Buckeyes' 35-23 victory over the Nittany Lions. On consecutive plays during the third quarter of a tie game, he sacked Penn State quarterback Matt McGloin and then intercepted a McGloin pass for a defensive touchdown. He was named Big Ten co-defensive player of the week on Monday.

It was actually the second straight strong showing for Shazier, who had 13 tackles in an overtime win over Purdue. Head coach Urban Meyer called that Purdue effort Shazier's best of the season. The linebacker had been part of the problem for Ohio State's defensive struggles in the first half of the season. Now he's become part of the solution.

Shazier is one of the best athletes on the team, a 6-foot-2, 230-pounder who has been clocked in the 4.4 range in the 40-yard dash. When he hits you, you don't forget it for a while. But his fundamentals were lacking earlier this year, and Meyer called him "an out-of-control guy" who missed too many tackles as the Buckeyes defense gave up several huge plays.

"He is blessed with real quick-twitch muscles and he's fast," Meyer said. "However, allowing cutbacks are when you get big plays against you, and he was a culprit."

That has changed the past two games, and Shazier credits better preparation and technique. He says he has been watching more film and focusing on using his leverage instead of overrunning plays. The extra preparation paid off last week, as he recognized on film the Penn State play that resulted in his pick-six.

Shazier started the final three games of 2011 as a true freshman and finished with 57 tackles. But he was far from a polished player at linebacker. He played that position as a high school freshman, but during his sophomore year his coaches lined him up at defensive end on a passing down. They discovered that no one could block him there, so defensive end became his new home.

"We always knew he needed to get accustomed to playing linebacker and tackling in space," said his father, Vernon Shazier. "Right now, he's probably still playing on about 70 percent athleticism. As he gets more comfortable and confident at the linebacker position, the game will slow down."

Shazier originally committed to play at Florida for Meyer. But when Meyer announced in December 2010 that he was stepping down for health reasons -- for real that time -- Shazier decommitted. His father said LSU and Ohio State were on Plantation's campus later that same day to make their pitches to the All-American recruit, and since Ryan planned on enrolling in January, he had about a week to make a new decision. Vernon Shazier said then-Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel helped put the Buckeyes over the top.

We all know what happened from there. Tressel was forced to resign, and after a year under interim coach Luke Fickell, Meyer took over the Buckeyes.

"It was crazy," Shazier said. "He was like, 'I always knew I was going to coach you.' Now, I've got the two coaches I always wanted in Coach Fickell and Coach Meyer."

Make that three coaches. His father coached high school football for 12 years and the ordained minister makes his living as a leadership trainer, motivational speaker and chaplain of the NFL's Miami Dolphins. Though he never coached one of Shazier's teams, he says "I'm always coaching him."

Dating back to Little League, father and son have talked before every one of Ryan's games. Ryan said he started to stress out last week because he almost missed a call from his father before the Penn State game. And after every game, Ryan calls Vernon to ask, "How did I do?"

"I try to help focus him on the little things he needs to do," Vernon Shazier said. "We pray. I try to calm and settle his nerves and spirit."

Shazier said he had to become a leader of a thin and inexperienced linebacker corps once senior Etienne Sabino went down with a broken leg. He's doing that now by playing his best football, and playing for more than just himself or his current teammates.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The fire inside is burning hot enough as it is.

Reflecting all the way back to his days as a youth wrestler, Luke Fickell has always tried to put more pressure to perform on himself than anybody could place on him on the outside.

So the Ohio State defensive coordinator isn't about the change his approach after his unit allowed 49 points in a narrow win over Indiana on Saturday, though he joked that he might seek out some of the public opinions of his work if he thought it might dial up the internal temperature even further.

"If you can put more pressure on me than I put on myself -- I don’t how you could," Fickell said during his Monday press conference. "We could give up 14 points and for some reason I’m not going to sleep at night thinking, ‘Wow, what could we have done better.’

"The outside pressures, I don’t know, I don’t feel it. If they’re harder or stronger than what I put on myself, maybe I should go read about it."

The Buckeyes provided plenty to write about defensively after a second sloppy outing in as many games, following up the 38 points they gave up against Nebraska with a trip to Indiana that included 481 yards allowed and a much tighter score than expected.

The program is still undefeated and the offense has certainly contributed greatly on the way to those seven wins and a spot in the top 10. But the defense currently ranks No. 10 in the conference in total defense, and the recent troubles haven't gone unnoticed by coach Urban Meyer -- who vowed to take a more active approach in getting that corrected and gave a speech to the entire unit and the coaching staff during a meeting on Sunday.

Fickell had no complaints about that appearance to start the week from Meyer, and he indicated it was a positive to have him more involved. But just like with the exterior conversations about the Buckeyes, he also didn't really need to be told that improvements were mandatory if they're going to stay perfect or contend for titles down the road.

"If we would have walked out of there after giving up 31, to be honest with you, I’d have had the same pit in my stomach," Fickell said. "We’re never satisfied with what we’ve got, but we can’t lose sight of the No. 1 most important thing is to win and get better.

"Is there a pit? Yes. Does it make it hard to sleep? Yes. But what do you do? You can whine, you can fold up your tent, start to complain or you can go back to work and find a way to get better."