A real Defense...

[hammb]

I know that it's tantamount to heresy to say anything good about OSU on this board. I also know that we cannot recruit the same level of defensive athletes that OSU brings in. Even with that said, I still want to bring up the defensive effort that OSU put forth today.

I hope that the coaches taped that game and can give it to our defensive players. OSU has one thing that we don't have and that's FUNDAMENTALS. I don't care if we're inferior athletically to every team we play (and I don't believe that we are), there is no reason that we can not emulate their funamentals on defense. Fundamentals are teachable regardless of talent level, and I think this is where we lack more than any other.

The biggest one is tackling. They don't miss tackles. Every time they get a hand on somebody they bring them down. The LBs square up, deliver a blow, and wrap up the ball carrier, with no chance of escaping. We don't do this. We either get passive and let the offensive player deliver the blow or they lower their head and try to make the highlight hit.

Watching that game this afternoon just made me realize how sorely lacking in fundamentals on defense we really are. If I was the coaching staff I would give the film of that OSU defense to every one of my players and have them study proper tackling technique. In actuality, this goes for nearly every defense in college football. We are not the only ones who lack fundamentals, although we appear worse than average. It is refreshing to see that obviously the OSU coaches still instill fundamentals on their defensive unit.

I honestly believe that studying that film and trying to emulate their techniques could go a long way towards helping our problems. I know that we're not always in position to make plays, but I would bet that almost half the rushing yards we've given up have come after contact.

[Jacobs4Heisman]

Yeah I watched that game and OSU looked very very impressive. If they play like that they will waltz through the B11.

I agree that our biggest problem on defense is poor tackling. It seems like 95% of the time our defender stands in the hole and waits for the runner to get to him. To tackle good backs you need to attack and tackle through them, not grasp at them as they run by. Our poor tackling is the biggest reason I'm hesitant to blame Lovett for the struggles. It seems like we have people in position to make plays, and that's all the coaches can do.

[BGGrad01]

I hate the Buckeyes and moving to Columbus has tripled my hatred for them, but they looked like an NFL defense yesterday. Every phase of their defense was dominating. Their linebackers never seem to get blocked. I'm sure a lot of that is due to the d-lineman not allowing the o-lineman to get downfield, but they also do a great job of shedding blocks when the o-lineman actually get to them. Then, they do NOT miss tackles. None of them. Ever. It pains me to admit it, but I was in awe of Ohio State's defense yesterday.

[Flipper]

You guys have hit upon two areas that concern me anbout our defense. We don't seem to want to tackle and we get blocked and stay blocked.

I suppose both could be an outgrowth of the same attitudinal shortcoming (i.e. a general lack of toughness or desire).

[orangeandbrown]

It will be taken seriously only if it continues to produce despite defenses adapting to it.

[Falconboy]

I know that it's tantamount to heresy to say anything good about OSU on this board. I also know that we cannot recruit the same level of defensive athletes that OSU brings in. Even with that said, I still want to bring up the defensive effort that OSU put forth today.

I hope that the coaches taped that game and can give it to our defensive players. OSU has one thing that we don't have and that's FUNDAMENTALS. I don't care if we're inferior athletically to every team we play (and I don't believe that we are), there is no reason that we can not emulate their funamentals on defense. Fundamentals are teachable regardless of talent level, and I think this is where we lack more than any other.

The biggest one is tackling. They don't miss tackles. Every time they get a hand on somebody they bring them down. The LBs square up, deliver a blow, and wrap up the ball carrier, with no chance of escaping. We don't do this. We either get passive and let the offensive player deliver the blow or they lower their head and try to make the highlight hit.

Watching that game this afternoon just made me realize how sorely lacking in fundamentals on defense we really are. If I was the coaching staff I would give the film of that OSU defense to every one of my players and have them study proper tackling technique. In actuality, this goes for nearly every defense in college football. We are not the only ones who lack fundamentals, although we appear worse than average. It is refreshing to see that obviously the OSU coaches still instill fundamentals on their defensive unit.

I honestly believe that studying that film and trying to emulate their techniques could go a long way towards helping our problems. I know that we're not always in position to make plays, but I would bet that almost half the rushing yards we've given up have come after contact.

You're right on the money Hammb, that WAS a defense yesterday. I watched it yesterday and saw what we are so obviously lacking not counting the physical skills alone. But the main thing you would come out of watching that OSU defense is that they can do things we can't on D and that is make a offensive line backup and struggle to block you. Constanlty you would see OSU d-lineman disrupting the LOS and penetrating allowing guys like AJ Hawk and Bobby Carpenter to clean up the rest. OSU's d-line is big and strong and their linebackers are DE sized and can take on a TE and shrug him off and make a proper tackle. We lack those skills in any sense. Basic fundamentals are of course of other part of the equation and that atleast needs to be taught regardless. Yes, a tape of that OSU game could at least help our linebackers learn something about how to tackle.

[edr4225]

I hate the Buckeyes and moving to Columbus has tripled my hatred for them, but they looked like an NFL defense yesterday. Every phase of their defense was dominating.

you're right, they did look like an NFL defense yesterday. The D line was nasty yesterday and you combine that with the best linebackers in the country with a solid secondary and its over. Like people in this thread have said, Bg needs to get the tape of this game and study it like theres no tommorrow, that game displayed everything a defense needs. Intensity, fundamentals, and tackling ability.

[Redwingtom]

Well, they are paid like NFL players, so I guess they should play like them too

[Falconfreak90]

Well, they are paid like NFL players, so I guess they should play like them too

Damn, Tom! That was funny.

But hammb is correct, OSU has one BAD AZZ defense. They really do. I'd love to have that entire LB corps...

[hammb]

But hammb is correct, OSU has one BAD AZZ defense. They really do. I'd love to have that entire LB corps...

Well, everyone of their backups would start for this team, and of course I'd take the entire OSU LB corps, they're in another world.

But I don't see why we cannot get our guys, who maybe don't have as much talent, to at least play with the same intensity & fundamentals you see in OSU's defense.

Doesn't it seem like our defense, which is not very talented to start with, almost shrugs everything off thinking that the offense will outscore the opposition? If we could get the intensity and tackling techniques of OSU's defense you'd see a drastically improved defensive team, regardless of talent level. There's no excuse for lacking in either of those areas, IMO.

[BGGrad01]

Doesn't it seem like our defense, which is not very talented to start with, almost shrugs everything off thinking that the offense will outscore the opposition?

It seems like this has been the attitude of the defense ever since the 2002 season. To be completely honest, it has been my attitude as a fan at times also. I think both the team and us as fans need to reverse this line of thinking. The defense needs to start games with the thinking that 7 points is too much and 1 missed tackle is 1 too many. I refuse to go back and watch the entire game from Wednesday night, but I'm sure that Coach Brandon will have noted that most drives could have been stopped if we would just tackle guys that were in our grasp. I don't think our guys are that commonly out of position. We just refuse to wrap up for some reason.

[1987alum]

But I don't see why we cannot get our guys, who maybe don't have as much talent, to at least play with the same intensity & fundamentals you see in OSU's offense.

That is most perplexing, because most of the "buzz" I heard about Lovett was that he was hammering away on fundamentals and technique. Reading between the lines, he was simplifying the defense so the players could concentrate on those things. Meanwhile, we seem to actually be much worse this year in regard to fundamentals.

Frustrating, for sure.