After reviewing the defensive line yesterday, we move next to the linebackers. A position that has always been solid for the Silver Bullets regardless of graduations, replacing two starters from 2010 should not prevent this year’s group from being solid to spectacular once again.

The starting group of three has been set with little or no rotation since the first day of practice.

The second team has been a different story. Due to attrition this offseason (Jon Newsome, Dorian Bell) there has been plenty of rotation looking for the new back ups.

Despite the heavy rotation, there is plenty of talent that will be more than capable of backing up the starters.

Here is a player by player look at the two-deep.

Linebackers

Andrew Sweat

#42 Senior, WLB

6’2″ 238 lbs.

Going into camp, it was no secret that Andrew Sweat would be the most experienced linebacker in 2011 … [Read More]

[Note: I apologize for not getting to the defensive backs in my “way too early looks”.]

This offseason has been a tumultuous one to say the least. The tattoo revelations leading up to the Sugar Bowl and the resulting suspensions guaranteed a shadow over the off season. The additional news concerning Jim Tressel didn’t exactly make that shadow go away.

Fortunately, time heals all wounds, and cracking pads on the field helps to speed up that process- at least for me. After some time off from writing following the Tressel news conference (which is part of the reason why I didn’t get to the DBs), my enthusiasm for football is back in full swing.

So what follows … [Read More]

The situation is remarkably similar to 2009, when Ohio State lost James Laurinaitis in the middle and Marcus Freeman on the weak side. Fortunately, the duo of Rolle and Homan proved more than capable replacements.

Over the years, that has been the pattern at Ohio State. Whenever linebackers leave, others step in with little to no drop off. 2011 should be no different as the linebacker wheel of awesome keeps on turning in Columbus.

There is a plethora of talent for the Buckeyes to work with, and as usual, it will be an exciting spring to see which linebackers separate themselves from the pack and how the coaches tweak the system to take advantage of the new talent.

Read on for a closer look at Ohio State’s linebackers in … [Read More]

Strong linebacker play has been a trademark of Ohio State football for decades. While another school may have been given the title ‘Linebacker U’, few teams have matched the consistent excellence Buckeyes have brought to the position.

At the start of the season, Ohio State had two sure things at linebacker in Ross Homan and Brian Rolle, and one pretty big question mark on the strong side. Given recent history at the position and the talent waiting in the wings, however, there was little question that the Buckeyes would successfully fill the void.

Determining exactly who would fill that void was one of the more interesting stories of the off season. Etienne Sabino appeared to have the spot locked up following the spring, but Andrew Sweat returned from injury in the fall and quickly passed Sabino on the depth chart.

In a surprise move by the coaches, Sabino went from … [Read More]