Texas transfer linebacker Rasheem Biles put Ohio State on blast when he commented about the Buckeyes' lack of an offer to the Pickerington Central product for their 2023 class. Biles is upset that there was no offer out of high school in Columbus and didn't give the Scarlet and Gray a visit in the portal after leaving Pitt this past offseason as revenge.
Sure, this was effective pregame hype for a Week 2 clash in Austin between OSU and UT. But in knocking the Buckeyes for not pursuing him all those years ago, Biles just put the spotlight squarely on Christian Alliegro.
Alliegro comes from Wisconsin, having amassed 53 total tackles, eight TFLs, and four sacks in 10 games during his third and final season in Madison last fall. The Badgers' defense was solid in the middle but struggled in coverage. Some of that is on Alliegro's pre-snap communication as the green-dot helmet wearer for Wisconsin.
Any issues Alliegro has ever had are now under the microscope, given he will be seen by many as the guy the Buckeyes ended up with over Biles because of past relationship-building (or lack thereof).
Of course, the two don't exactly play the same position, though their versatility allows both to play in the middle and on the edge to varying degrees. Alliegro plays more on-ball on the outside, while Biles is more off-ball on the inside.
Still, the decision was made to pursue and pay Alliegro, while Biles was not an option because of a fractured relationship four years ago. Production is expected for the former, while there could be some FOMO from Ohio State fans about the latter.
Christian Alliegro was already under pressure at Ohio State
Alliegro already had the burden of lining up on the edge and taking snaps that Arvell Reese had ceded after realizing his NFL dream with the New York Giants this past April. Doing so with the idea that anything Biles does on the Forty Acres is what the Buckeyes could've had instead only makes it harder.
Filling in the shoes, even on a part-time basis, of one of the most athletic and violent prospects the program has ever seen was always going to be hard. Reese came on late as a raw prospect who started in the middle but became a weapon on the edge.
Now, several players carry that burden. Alliegro may carry the most of it.
Week 2 against Texas is an even bigger game for Ohio State
The burden is on Matt Patricia and James Laurinaitis to produce a defense that could make up for the losses of Reese and Sonny Styles at linebacker, and elsewhere on defense in Patricia's case. On a personal level, though, Alliegro could use Week 2 as an inflection point. Obviously, Biles already sees it that way.
Alliegro is one of several LBs who could mitigate the damage against dual-threat Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning. While pass coverage is Alliegro's weakness, he is an effective QB spy. Obviously, Alliegro could also stop Manning and his RBs before they even get going in the backfield when he lines up on the edge.
Ohio State-Texas was already a contender for non-conference game of the year. Now, it has even more hype if you're paying attention to the LB position on both sides.
Biles has spoken it into existence. Alliegro can respond in a big way on the field.
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