8 Most Feared Defenders in the Big Ten
If defense wins championships, these guys are capable of winning trophies all by themselves. The Big Ten is full of dynamic defenders, and I've put together a list of the most fearsome defensive superstars the conference has to offer.
With three of the nation's top 10 defenses (and four of the top 20) calling the Big Ten home, the best and most feared defenders in the Big Ten are also some of the very best anywhere in the country. Michigan State, Wisconsin and Ohio State all sit in the top 10 in the FBS when it comes to total defense (with MSU at No. 1), and Iowa is just outside of the top 10 at No. 13.
With all the accolades being poured on the nation's best defenders on some of the nation's best defensive units, is it any wonder offensive coordinators and quarterbacks are tossing and turning in their beds with nightmares of these monstrous defensemen?
No. 8: Anthony Hitchens, Iowa
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Iowa has one of the top 15 defenses in the nation, and that's thanks in no small part to Anthony Hitchens. The senior linebacker leads the Big Ten in total tackles with 86. He also has nine tackles for loss in nine games this season, which include two sacks.
Add in a pass deflections and a forced fumble, and you start to see why offensive coordinators scheme away from Hitchens each and every week.
No. 7: Blake Countess, Michigan
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Michigan has 133 years of proud football tradition, and that includes some of the best defensive backs ever to play the college game. While sophomore Blake Countess won't be following in the Heisman footsteps of the great Charles Woodson this season, Michigan fans should be very excited about the future of this young phenom.
Despite his youth, Countess leads the Big Ten (with three others) this season with four interceptions. Countess also leads the conference, and is third in the FBS, with 149 interception return yards—a stat that turns momentum-changing interceptions into game-changers.
In a true testament to Countess' abilities and dedication, he's achieved this high level of performance in spite of tearing his ACL in last season's opener against Alabama.
No. 6: Raymon Taylor, Michigan
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Raymon Taylor is easily one of the best defensive backs the Big Ten has to offer. His stats speak for themselves, ranking Taylor in the top 10 in several defensive categories. Most notably, Taylor is just one interception behind the conference leaders, and he's combined his three picks with 56 tackles (1.5 for loss) and a whopping eight pass breakups.
Clearly, if quarterbacks want to complete passes for first downs or big gains, looking to the side of the field not covered by Raymon would be a good first step.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
No. 5: Ryan Shazier, Ohio State
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Ohio State is the No. 4 team in the nation, and there's plenty of reason to believe the Buckeyes will be able to maintain—or even improve upon—that position. Ryan Shazier is part of that reason.
There's so much attention given to the sexy sacks stat that many people lose sight of a similar statistic that has almost identical impact on the game: tackles for loss. It's here where Shazier makes his presence known.
Shazier almost lives in the opponent's offensive backfield this season. His ability to shed blocks combined with his sure tackling skills have led to 12 TFL already this season. Shazier leads the Big Ten in the category and is among the top 12 in the FBS.
His numbers also include four sacks, and you can add two forced fumbles to his résumé. If defense does in fact win championships, Ohio State's defense is well positioned to secure a Leaders Division title this season, not to mention the Buckeyes' first trip to the Big Ten Championship Game.
No. 4: Denicos Allen, Michigan State
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Next up is Michigan State's senior linebacker, Denicos Allen. While he's the first Spartan to appear on my list of most feared Big Ten defenders, I can promise you he won't be the last. After all, with MSU leading the nation in total defense and sitting squarely in the top five in scoring defense, there are plenty of guys in green and white deserving of praise.
Allen makes my list mainly for the fear he instills in opposing quarterbacks. He has racked up five sacks thus far in 2013, including two this past Saturday against hated rival Michigan.
Put his five sacks together with 11 TFL and 57 total tackles, and any opponent with a ball in his hands best avoid Allen at all costs.
No. 3: Noah Spence, Ohio State
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Sacking the opposing quarterback not only costs the offense some yards and a down, it also has the added benefit of playing with the mind of the quarterback. Because of its potential lingering impact on offensive production, sacks are placed at a premium in today's game.
Ohio State has plenty of ways to impact an opposing offense, but when it comes to Noah Spence, his game plan is pretty simple: get inside the head of the QB. Even with offensive coordinators scheming away from him on nearly every play, Spence is second in the Big Ten with six sacks.
Spence may only have 33 total tackles thus far, but he's making every one of those stops count. He has 10 total TFL this season and a forced fumble.
So much for scheming, even if you avoid him, he'll find you.
No. 2: Shilique Calhoun, Michigan State
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Michigan State is loaded with defensive talent and future NFL Draft picks, and sophomore defensive end Shilique Calhoun might be one of the best—not just in East Lansing or the Big Ten, but the entire country.
His conference-leading 6.5 sacks is just the tip of the giant, green iceberg. He's second in the conference is tackles for loss with 11 and has accounted for two turnovers, including every lineman's dream: an interception returned for a touchdown.
Even if he's not hauling the quarterback to the turf on every play, he's still forcing bad throws more often than not this season, as he's been credited with a whopping 17 QB hurries not resulting in a sack.
And he's only a sophomore? The defensive future for MSU looks very bright with Calhoun anchoring the line.
No. 1: Darqueze Dennard, Michigan State
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I told you Michigan State would be well represented. Here's my third and final representative from the nation's top defensive unit, senior corner Darqueze Dennard.
There should be nobody left who doubts Dennard's abilities in pass coverage. The 2013 Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist could join names such as LSU's Morris Claiborne, Ohio State's Malcolm Jenkins, Florida State's Deion Sanders and Michigan's Charles Woodson as winners of the award handed out to the nation's top defensive back.
And for good reason, too.
Dennard has already snagged three picks this season, made 37 tackles (including two for loss), broken up seven passes and forced one fumble—all while virtually closing down an entire portion of the field to air traffic.
Dennard had said that Michigan State's secondary was the "weak link" last season, and it was their task to establish a "No-Fly Zone."
"[The front seven is] going to stop the run, and it's just going to end up on us making plays in the back end," Dennard said in a press conference leading up to the game against Michigan. So far, so good. Not only did MSU thoroughly manhandle the Wolverines, the Spartans limited the Wolverines to just 168 total offensive yards.
It's worth noting that we're talking about the same Michigan team that put up 751 yards (including 503 passing yards) and 63 points on the board the previous week.
In the end, Dennard can essentially do it all, which will make him a very attractive candidate come NFL draft season. Zone coverage? Locked down. Edge blitzing? Disruptive, to say the least. Ball skills? Let's just say don't let him touch it.
With his skill set and physicality victimizing offenses all across the conference, is it any wonder I've named him our most feared defender in the Big Ten?
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
