Ohio State-Michigan Position Preview: Defense

Defense The defense was supposed to be what each team hung its hat on throughout the year. Defense was supposed to keep the Wolverines from being awful, and defense was supposed to lead the Buckeyes to a National Championship. Missions unaccomplished. Ohio State wasn’t able to stop USC, a common theme for Big Ten teams, and Michigan hasn’t been able to stop, uh, anyone not named Minnesota. Defensive Line If there’s one place the Wolverines could have the edge, it’s the D-line. I think they are good—that’s what I’ve been told, at least. The Buckeye defensive line has actually turned up the tempo and started to affect games, rather than watching like the rest of us. During last year’s dreary game, Michigan’s defensive line caused Todd Boeckman to have a dreary day passing the ball while seemingly forgetting about Beanie Wells. For all the hype, Ohio State’s defensive line has the numbers on their side. Linebackers  ... (link)