Ohio State will be counting on Sam Hubbard and a few other young defensive lineman to make a big impact next season. 11:19 AM ET COLUMBUS, Ohio — Luke Fickell was expecting a peek into the crystal ball, not a full-blown trip to the future. But midway through the first quarter of the BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl, the Ohio State defensive coordinator had seemingly been zipped ahead nine months — and he had every reason to like what he saw when he got there. In the head of the battle, it might have been difficult to come to terms with an injury to one senior, a suspension for another and then the unexpected loss of star defensive end Joey Bosa thanks to a targeting ejection that left the Buckeyes suddenly without three veteran starters. But as the sneak preview turned into a full-length feature for Ohio State’s defensive line in the win against Notre Dame to cap the season, it became increasingly clear that unit is more than capable of fighting off any drop-off despite all the attrition it will deal with this offseason. “I’m trying not to flinch, because your body language reflects directly on the guys out there playing,” Fickell said. “So in the moment, I would not allow myself to even blink an eye about it. “Deep inside my gut, I’m thinking ‘this is going to be interesting.'” There might still be some challenging moments ahead for the Buckeyes as they move ahead without Bosa, Adolphus Washington and Tommy Schutt this spring. But with something of a head start on the transition, the Buckeyes appear both stocked with talent and well prepared thanks to an emphasis on rotating in younger players last season that clearly paid off in the Fiesta Bowl. Sam Hubbard and Tyquan Lewis were fixtures at defensive end throughout the season, and they both delivered timely sacks in the second half to put away the Irish. Tracy Sprinkle and Michael Hill were pressed into more extensive action at defensive tackle, and each responded with a couple impressive plays while Ohio State bottled up Notre Dame’s rushing attack and held it to 3.8 yards per carry. And in the aftermath, both Fickell and coach Urban Meyer named a couple other guys ready to contribute and hinted at a few more who might when three decorated defensive line recruits officially join the program, providing more evidence that Ohio State has established the foundation in the defensive trenches it wanted when Meyer arrived four years ago. “I looked out there and we were down another lineman,” Meyer said…
Continue Reading: Sneak peek at Ohio State defensive line shows a reload, not a rebuild
