Jack Sawyer says the Buckeye defense “just expected to win” in 2021, and Zach Harrison says the Ohio State defensive line is “taking it more personal now” in 2022.
At times last season, Ohio State’s defensive line was exactly what Ryan Day expected it to be: the strength of the Buckeye defense. But in too many crucial moments, including both of the Buckeyes’ losses, it was anything but.
The nation’s sixth-best run defense in 2020, Ohio State fell to No. 28 in that category this past season, giving up a total of 566 yards and a whopping nine touchdowns on the ground in regular-season defeats to Oregon and Michigan. Had either one of those losses been avoided, the Buckeyes might have earned a trip to the College Football Playoff.
Sawyer didn’t say specifically which former players delivered that message, but said the team also watched a video that contained multiple generations of Silver Bullets past that helped to fire the team up over the offseason. That process started in winter workouts under the direction of strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti, but Sawyer said it’s already paying dividends on the field during spring practice, as well.
For a young interior lineman like sophomore Tyleik Williams, the emphasis the coaching staff has placed on leadership has already led to noticeable changes in his position room. “I think the sky’s the limit. It could be something that no one’s ever seen before,” Sawyer said. “We all truly believe that as well. I think last year maybe kind of got lost in the moment that we weren’t playing that much, and it kind of affected us a little bit. But we just put our head down and went back to work, and this spring you can already see it how the hard work’s paying off. I’m just really excited to see these guys get a chance too.
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