A loss to Virginia Tech likely crushed Ohio State’s national title dreams. But the Buckeyes still have a championship-caliber defensive line that should only get better when Noah Spence rejoins the lineup this weekend.
Even in a 35-21 defeat to the Hokies Saturday night, Ohio State controlled the line of scrimmage and forced the Hokies into long third down situations as the likes of Joey Bosa, Adolphus Washington and Michael Bennett created problems up front. In the end, of course, Virginia Tech was able to convert at such critical junctures and keep the chains moving, but the Buckeyes have a unit that’s going to continue giving opponents fits.
The defensive line, which also flustered Navy in the team’s season opener, has the potential to be one of head coach Urban Meyer’s best. He compared it to the one that won a national championship at Florida in 2006.
“If they all perform and stay healthy, (they) could be at that level," Meyer said at Big Ten Media Days in July. “It’s game-changers upfront.”
Spence — with his instincts, speed and lean frame — is arguably the most important and most talented of them all. After a three-game suspension for failing a drug test last winter, he’ll make his way back into the Buckeyes’ rotation against Kent State.
"He's an exceptional player," Meyer said Tuesday during the Big Ten coaches teleconference. "I know myself and his family are very anxious to see him play. He's been on scout team and we're very anxious to get him going."
Because Ohio State’s defensive line seems to be pretty good without him. Imagine what it might be like when he returns.
“I think it’s going to be tremendous,” co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Chris Ash said Monday. “Noah’s a very talented player. He fits well in our scheme. He has a tremendous ability to get after the quarterback, and I think that’s going to help us a lot.”
Spence, a junior projected by some to be a high NFL Draft pick next year, is listed as a backup on the team’s weekly depth chart, but there’s no reason to expect he won’t play considerably against the Golden Flashes.
“He’s been in all the defensive line meetings so all through the course of training camp, he’s worked a lot of scout team stuff going against our offense and doing a great job down there. He’s been in all the defensive line meetings and done all of our walk-throughs, he’s been (doing) D-line individual, he’s been out there practicing our stuff quite a bit,” he said.
And compared to last year or the year before that, Ash said Spence, a conference All-American, is better despite watching his teammates play the first two games without him.
“We saw a lot of strides in the spring from him, from the time we started until the time we ended in spring practice, he made a lot of improvement,” Ash said. “He’s made improvement throughout training camp so far also and I’m excited to see him get out there on game day.”
Because at the end of the day, Spence makes an already really good defensive line that much better.
