Scarlet and Game
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Ohio State football: Linebackers are the defense’s strength

By Ryan Stano

Oct 1, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Steele Chambers (22) and linebacker Tommy Eichenberg (35) tackle Rutgers Scarlet Knights running back Kyle Monangai (23) in the first quarter of the NCAA Division I football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Ohio Stadium.Osu22rut Kwr 10
Oct 1, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Steele Chambers (22) and linebacker Tommy Eichenberg (35) tackle Rutgers Scarlet Knights running back Kyle Monangai (23) in the first quarter of the NCAA Division I football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Ohio Stadium.Osu22rut Kwr 10 /
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Let me tell you something; I was wrong. I was wrong about the linebackers. Coming into this season, I thought the weakest part of this Ohio State football team was going to be the linebackers because of how bad they were a year ago.

It turns out that changing coaches was all they had to do to make them a lot better. Exit Al Washington, Kerry Coombs, and Matt Barnes; enter Jim Knowles. Knowles has made the defense as a whole a lot better, and the linebacker play has as much to do with that as anything.

I thought the linebackers were going to be the liability of the defense this year. They have actually proved to be the strongest part of the defense so far this season. Both Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers have been flying around the field all year long.

Eichenberg leads the team in tackles with 42. He also has 2 sacks to go along with that. Chambers is second on the team in tackles with 30. No one else even has 19. That goes to show you how active these linebackers are every game. They flock to the ball at a high rate.

The Ohio State football team now has a higher ceiling.

Because the linebackers have been so good, the ceiling of this Ohio State football team has been raised. The Buckeyes no longer have a bad defense. They just needed to be average for this team to be a national title contender. Now I think they actually have a good defense to pair with that elite offense.

No other team in the country has the talent that this offense has. If the defense keeps playing the way that they are, the Buckeyes should win it all. The linebackers have to keep up this stellar play in order for that to happen though.

Next. Ohio State vs. Michigan State: 3 bold predictions. dark

The linebackers are now the heart and soul of this defense, just like it used to be in the Tressel Era.

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