COLUMBUS — Chase Young has been so utterly dominant and otherworldly that Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said he doesn’t think of the Ohio State defensive end “in the human context.”
Poor Tyler Higby, Michigan State’s fourth-string left tackle who was thrust into the starting job, found out the hard way as Young recorded sack No. 8.5 of the season in OSU’s 34-10 victory Saturday night.
But Ohio State’s defense isn’t a one-man wrecking crew. There are freaks at all 11 positions, a new development for the Buckeyes after notable blunders at linebacker in recent seasons. While Young flashed his potential No. 1 draft pick bona fides, OSU’s linebacking corps further proved yesteryear is not calling.
“It’s very contagious,” senior linebacker Malik Harrison said. “Once you see the D-line, we just go. Us and the D-Line are working together. They help us, we help them. If they go, we’re going too. And when we see the back end producing, we all click and feed off each other.”
Through six games, Harrison, Baron Browning, Pete Wener, Tuf Borland, and Dallas Gant are all among the top-10 tacklers on the team. They’ve combined for 98 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 20.5 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, an interception, and a forced fumble. Browning recorded a game-changing sack Saturday and Harrison returned a fumble 22 yards.
The players are the same as last year when Ohio State gave up 23 plays of 40 or more yards, 12 of 50 or more, and two 93-yard plays that were the longest in school history for TCU and Penn State. The coaches are different, as are the results — three plays over 40 yards and only one over 50.
Defensive coordinators Greg Mattison and Jeff Hafley implemented a simplified scheme that doesn’t require constant processing on the field, allowing Ohio State to play freer, faster, and more hostile.
Linebackers coach Al Washington, a Columbus native whose dad, Al, Sr., played for Woody Hayes, came from Michigan, bringing a personality that’s approachable and fiery at the same time. He excels at recruiting for the same reasons he succeeds at coaching: astuteness and intellect.
“If you have a spark, then I'm going to pour gas on it,” Washington said. “And hopefully it turns into a blaze. I think that’s what all coaches do.”
Something has been lit under Harrison, who added a tackle for loss and fumble recovery Saturday night to his growing list of accomplishments in 2019. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Columbus native was honorable mention All-Big Ten last season after tying for a team-high 81 tackles. But it didn’t feel formidable because of the overall ineptness of the defense.
This year is a different story, as Harrison is a legitimate All-American candidate. His three sacks and nine tackles for loss are second on the team behind Young. Not bad for a former high school quarterback and punter.
“I think Malik has a chance to be one of the best in the country,” Washington said. “I’ll tell him that. I’m honest. I think he has the ability, but you’ve got to exercise that ability every day.”
A decision regarding Harrison’s future needed to be made after last season, one that he says was swift and easy. He wanted to stay and retool his game, which suddenly has him listed among the best linebacker prospects for the NFL draft.
All the hoopla doesn’t surprise Harrison. A true breakout is what he expected.
Borland — and to a lesser extent Werner — needed anything that wasn’t a duplication of 2018. No one took more criticism from the frustrated fan base than Borland, a constant target of irritation for the defense’s weekly gashing.
No more. Now Borland, who shares middle linebacker with Browning, an emerging star, is more proficient at being in the right places, as evidenced by his interception against Cincinnati.
“It’s night and day. I feel a huge difference,” Borland said, adding that the criticism he endured in 2018 is included in the deal when you sign up to play for the Buckeyes. “You’re on the biggest stage. People are going to come at you. People are going to say things. It’s part of the job.”
Talent hasn’t been an issue for Ohio State for over two decades. An assembly line of draft picks makes its way to Columbus each winter, joining a lineage of All-Americans and All-Big Ten players that formed the foundation and contributed to the newcomers' college decision.
When it’s combined with good coaching, wins follow. Distressed units like the Ohio State linebackers reverse course and prosper.
“Every day when you take the field, you have a purpose,” Washington said. “Every day that you go to work, you should have the goal to do it better than the day before. So when you look at last year for each player, we approach it every day like we've got to improve, we've got to do what we know we can do mentality. That’s their mindset. That’s our mindset. It’s been that since day one.”
First Published October 6, 2019, 4:03 a.m.
