COLUMBUS, Ohio — Raekwon McMillan is happy to not be putting up crooked tackle numbers. He had plenty of those last year when Ohio State was struggling to stop the run. Low tackle numbers for McMillan means the Buckeyes defensive line is doing its job. Through five games last season, McMillan had 46 tackles. This year, he has 33. So in a weird way, lower tackle numbers for McMillan means progress. Ohio State’s defensive line, young and under-manned a bit, is playing better than anyone thought it would this season. That’s a product of recruiting and another R-word: Rotation. We’ve talked about that second one a lot. That’s the funny thing about rotation, we only ask about it when it appears to not be working. The Buckeyes are rolling three or four cornerbacks per game, but the pass defense has been good so you start to not even notice it. They’re rolling seven or eight receivers per game, but the pass offense hasn’t been good and you start to ask if that’s too much rotation. Defensive line rotation is something Urban Meyer has wanted since he arrived in Columbus — a steady stream of ends and tackles with no drop-off that…
Continue Reading: 4 reasons Ohio State football will beat Wisconsin: Can we stop talking about defensive line rotation?
