Red Out: Eight Quarters Of Shutout Football Propels Buckeyes Forward

Saturday in the Horseshoe, something happened that has not happened ever: Juice Williams and the Illini were shut out since Williams started at QB.

A 30-0 blanking in the middle of a rainstorm was the second straight shutout for the Buckeyes, invoking memories of the famed Silver Bullets of the 2002 season.

One thing is for sure, as QB Terrelle Pryor put it: the Buckeyes have gotten their swagger back. With two excellent bookends in Thaddeus Gibson and Cameron Heyward, OSU boasts one of the best defensive lines in the country.

Another change in personnel was the decision to start S Jermale Hines over Anderson Russell from the USC game forward.

Since then, Ohio State has allowed only 213 rushing yards in the last three games. In the last two, they allowed only 10 third-down conversions and forced five turnovers.

Opponents are rushing for less than 100 yards per game against the Buckeyes defense that many felt would be in rebuilding mode after losing James Laurinaitis and Malcolm Jenkins.

In total, 11 different players have registered at least a half-sack on the defense, and surprisingly, Gibson is not one of them. Gibson has forced two fumbles to go with S Kurt Coleman's three forced fumbles.

Additionally, MLB Brian Rolle has filled in admirably for the departed Laurinaitis, and has showed great big-play ability. He has showcased great speed along with strong recognition of plays.

The Buckeyes secondary has also been a great surprise. Chimdi Chekwa, Andre Amos, and Devon Torrence have all played very well in giving OSU solid depth at the corner position.

It seems that this season, Ohio State's defense is simply playing faster than in years past and they seem to get better every week.

Many pundits felt that the offense led by Terrelle Pryor would have to carry the team this season to give the defense time to gel.

Actually, the defense has been able to take all the pressure off the Buckeye offense and allowing them to develop and grow.

Obviously, the shutout streak will end. But at this point, Ohio State is looking very strong defensively and they are looking to carry that momentum forward into the deep parts of the Big Ten season.

If the defense continues to improve and the offense develops an identity, come November, this Buckeye team could be very tough to beat on either end of the field.

The only question facing this is can they continue to play at this level as the grind of the physical Big Ten season rolls along?

One thing is for sure: the swagger is back in Columbus, and the Silver Bullets have officially returned to college football.