Ohio State defensive lineman Johnathan Hankins was being peppered with questions about the shortcomings of the Buckeye defense.
"How do you feel about being 12th in the Big Ten in defense?"
"You've given up 512 and 403 total yards in the last two games, does that bother you?"
"Do you think you guys will play better against a team that doesn't spread it out as much as previous opponents have?"
Big Hank was patient in answering each question. His respective responses can be summed up with.
"Doesn't bother us."
"As long as we get the win it doesn't matter."
"Yes."
The Buckeyes have faced 4 different offensive styles from 4 teams trying to find a way to trick-up a win over a big time program with clearly superior talent. Each had some success, but in the end the Buckeyes found a way to win each game and remain unbeaten.
Saturday, Big Ten play begins at Michigan State. The Spartans are 3-1 and ranked 20th in the country.
Ohio State can't wait.
Michigan State won't be throwing to the edges the way UAB did.
Michigan State doesn't have a polished quarterback like Miami of Ohio did.
Michigan State will run the ball and run it often with their 250-pound tailback, Columbus native L'Veon Bell-The Big Ten's leading rusher.
Ohio State can't wait.
Back to Hankins. When another questioner asked Big Hank which part of Bell he would go after first in an attempt to stop him, Hankins responded with: I'm going to try to rip his head off."
Bang! There you go. Let the Big Ten season begin. Enough of the tricked-up, west coast crap Cal brought to town. It's time for some good, old-fashioned, between the tackles Big Ten football.
The Buckeyes aren't designed to chase 185 pound tailbacks(obviously). Hankins, John Simon, Garrett Goebel and freshman Adolphus Washington, Noah Spence and Tommy Shutt will be ready to ring Bell's bell everytime he approaches the line.
They can't wait.
"Our defense is kind of built for this." OSU coach Urban Meyer said this week.
Not just the defense. Meyer confirmed Wednesday that Carlos Hyde will be available for the game in East Lansing giving the Buckeyes the option of having both Hyde and Jordan Hall in the backfield together for the first time all season.
Bell is getting a lot of attention for being a 244 pound tailback with speed.
Hyde is a 232 pound tailback with speed.
The Buckeyes can compliment Hyde's bulldozing with Hall's burst. Add Braxton Miller's running ability and you got a three headed monster Sparty will have difficulty dealing with.
Former Ohio State defensive coordinator Mark Dantonio, now MSU's head coach took it out on the media after Michigan State's win over Eastern Michigan by holding a brief, contentious post-game press conference.
He put a gag order on his players this week refusing to let them speak to the media about Ohio State.
Saturday, the Buckeyes will attempt to silence Bell, Dantonio and the Spartans once more.
They can't wait.
