By: Bill Blanton (BuckeyeCountry.net) -
At the start of the 2009 season, all eyes were on Terrelle Pryor and how his freakish, athletic talent would be the gun Ohio State coach Jim Tressel would use to fire the bullets in a dynamic OSU offense.

So far this season, the only thing that has been firing bullets is the Ohio State defense, and they’re shooting “Silver Bullets” everywhere.

This “no name” group that is lacking the front line starter that we have seen in seasons past at Ohio State has quickly become the calling card for the 2009 team.

After a rough start against Navy, OSU has faced three top offenses the past three weeks and passed every test with flying colors.

Though this group may lack a big name like A.J. Hawk, Bobby Carpenter, James Laurinaitis, Malcolm Jenkins, or Vernon Gholston, the team understands how to play team defense and makes swarming to the ball a priority.

“We were hitting every chance we got. We hit hard no matter the play, if it was passing or running. We were setting the tone early,” said Buckeye safety Kurt Coleman. “We are definitely thriving on the fun we are having. We always have a go get them attitude. I feel like we are the best of the best out there right now. We have to prove that each and every week and let the fans decide how good they think we are.”

Perhaps Coleman will tame his fun and enthusiasm after his late hit on Illinois quarterback Eddie McGhee landed him a one game suspension from the Big Ten conference.

During the past two games, the Buckeye defense has posted two straight shutouts, the first time that has occurred since 1996. The opponent offenses that they have faced can’t be underestimated. Both teams were well respected by college analysts.

“We have a swagger about our defense,” cornerback Devon Torrence said. “The ‘Silver Bullets,’ that’s just the mentality we take. We fly to the football. We make plays. This is just the expectations our group upholds.”

The defense shows no signs of let-up as the Buckeyes start to move into the middle portion of the season. October will continue to provide the defense with tough challenges from multiple look offenses from the Big Ten starting with Indiana Saturday night in Bloomington.

So far this season, the defensive line has been the catalyst of this group. The ability to rotate eight players that are all productive allows the front to stay fresh and continue to get after the ball throughout the game.

Thaddeus Gibson, Lawrence Wilson, Rob Rose and Nate Williams have all showed big play capability rushing from the defensive end position. Doug Worthington, Dexter Larimore, Todd Denlinger and Cameron Heyward have been bringing the penetration up the middle from the defensive tackle position.

The Buckeyes haven’t seen a group this active and this deep since the 2002 national champion team defense when announcers were calling the names of Will Smith, Darrion Scott, Kenny Petersen, Tim Anderson, and Simon Fraser.

The play of the defensive line has created opportunity for Ross Homan and Brian Rolle to be very active in making big plays for the OSU defense from the linebacker position. The D-line has also created a dominant pass rush without the need to blitz, another benefit for the secondary.

How good this defense will become as we move through the 2009 season is yet to be determined. However, one thing is for sure. If it continues to improve weekly, and the offense with Terrelle Pryor starts to mature, we may have a happy January in Buckeyeland.

Ohio State’s Chimdi Chekwa (5) interferes with Illinois’ Arrelious Benn during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009, in Columbus, Ohio.
(AP Photo/Terry Gilliam : IMAGE SOURCE: ESPN)

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