Ohio State Football: How Buckeye Front 7 Can Help Team Get off to Good Start

For the past few seasons, Ohio State has had a very strong front seven, anchored by a stout defensive line and a group of intelligent, fundamentally sound linebackers.

This season should be no different, except that Ohio State may have more pure, raw talent in the front seven than in years past.

Not only do the Buckeyes bring studs John Simon and Johnathan Hankins back up front, but they also bring in a tremendous amount of athleticism and skill in the front seven in this year's freshman class.

And if Urban Meyer has taught us anything at Florida, it's that he's not afraid to play freshmen if they're good enough.

Freshmen like DEs Noah Spence and Adolphus Washington and LB David Perkins should come in and contribute very soon, if not right away.

The strength of this team is definitely in the young talent, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

Sophomore LB Curtis Grant is among those young players that will be expected to step up, as Meyer has tapped him as the guy that will show how well the defense is playing.

Ohio State doesn't yet have the horses to run Meyer's uptempo spread offense the way he wants to put up the type of numbers that his offenses are capable of doing.

While the Buckeyes do have an easy schedule to start the season, the offense has been coming together pretty slowly according to multiple reports from spring practice.

If QB Braxton Miller and the offense don't produce at the level that fans believe they should, it will be up to the defense to step up to the plate.

They have the pure talent to do so, but their challenge is turning that potential into on-field results.

As good as the offensive coaching staff is with offensive coordinator Tom Herman and offensive line coach Ed Warriner, the defensive staff might be even better.

Luke Fickell was the architect of some very stout defenses in 2009 and 2010.

Add in former UNC defensive coordinator Everett Withers, former OSU defensive end Mike Vrabel and former Cincinnati DBs coach Kerry Coombs—a folk legend around the Cincinnati area for his tenure at Colerain High School—and you have a staff that is instantly among the best in the country.

The Buckeyes have plenty of experience relying heavily on how well the defense plays, so that's nothing new to fans.

They might be more willing to be patient with the offense having seen it work everywhere Meyer has been and with the players the Buckeyes will bring in as freshman in 2013.

With the skill in the front seven that is both developed and untapped, it will take some pressure off of the offense more games than not.

Should the offense take huge strides during the season, the pressure comes off of the defense, something that almost never happens at Ohio State.

It might not happen much this year, and with the potential the front seven of Ohio State has, they might not need an offensive explosion.

It would be great if it happened, but not the worst if it doesn't.

After all, this wouldn't be the first year the defense needs to help out the offense at OSU.

But it should be the last for quite a few years if things go as they should.

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