Joey Bosa Is Ohio State's Forgotten Superstar

COLUMBUS, Ohio — If you're wondering why Joey Bosa's sack total has dipped from 13.5 a year ago to just 3.5 through the first nine games of Ohio State's 2015 campaign, you're not alone.

Even if he won't admit it publicly, the Buckeyes defensive end is curious himself.

"The funny thing is, you hear it from him too," said Ohio State defensive tackle Tommy Schutt. "It bothers him a little bit."

But while the signature statistic that had previously defined his impact—Bosa recorded a combined 21 sacks in the first two years of his college career—may not be as plentiful this season, those who have watched the 6'6", 275-pounder play this season would hardly call 2015 a down year for the reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.

In fact, some, including Bosa himself, would argue that he's even better than before.

Whether it's blowing up a run with one of his 8.5 nonsack tackles for loss—Bosa had just 7.5 of such plays in all of 2014—or collapsing the pocket and helping create pressure on a Buckeyes defense that ranks 13th in the nation with 27 sacks, it's hard to turn on the film of an Ohio State game and not notice No. 97 making a difference.

While he may not be satisfied with his sack total privately, Bosa has no qualms about his play through the first two months of his junior season, which has qualified him as a semifinalist for both the Bednarik and Lombardi Awards.

"I'm night and day when I watch my skill set from last year to this year," Bosa said. "Just how I pass rush and play the run in all different aspects. I think there's not really one part of my game that I can look at and say I haven't gotten better yet."

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

For a player who accomplished as much as Bosa did in the first two years of his college career, that's a scary thought.

After bursting onto the scene in 2013 with 7.5 sacks as a true freshman, the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, native came within half a sack of Ohio State's single-season record before the Buckeyes' postseason opponents began assigning more double- and triple-teams in hopes of neutralizing the unanimous All-American.

While Bosa was held without a sack in the Big Ten title game, Sugar Bowl and College Football Playoff championship, the amount of attention opponents focused on him helped propel the Ohio State defense to three of its most impressive outings of the season.

Opponents this season have opted to employ similar tactics, but much like Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon last winter, they've found little success. It hasn't helped that regardless of how many players teams have given the responsibility of simultaneously slowing Bosa, he's still found a way into opposing backfields, as evidenced by his 11 QB hurries on the season.

"Joey Bosa' as disruptive as any defensive player that I've been around," said Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer, who saw 10 of his defensive linemen/linebackers selected in the NFL draft during his time at Florida and four more in his first three years at Ohio State. "He's playing very well."

Oddly enough, perhaps also contributing to Bosa's lower-than-expected sack total has been his versatility. With no shortage of capable pass-rushers on the Buckeyes roster, the OSU staff has often opted for its "Rushmen" package, which slides Bosa inside as a defensive tackle, with Tyquan Lewis and Sam Hubbard coming off the edges.

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

It's not a coincidence that with the aid of Bosa and fellow projected first-round pick Adolphus Washington manning the middle, Lewis (5.5 sacks) and Hubbard (4.5 sacks) have ranked first and second, respectively, for the Buckeyes in sacks in what's been the first significant action of each of their college careers.

"He could be an outstanding 3-technique, he could be an outstanding end, he could be an outstanding nose guard," Ohio State defensive coordinator Luke Fickell said of Bosa's versatility. "I'm not sure he wouldn't be an outstanding middle linebacker. He can do it all."

A former Buckeyes defensive lineman himself, Fickell is no stranger when it comes to witnessing greatness in Ohio State's front four. Fickell's college roommate, Mike Vrabel, is still the Buckeyes leader in career sacks (36), and he also played next to the player who ranks third on that list, Matt Finkes, who tallied 25 sacks in Columbus from 1993-96.

Maybe it's the former nose guard in him, but Fickell also knows better than to only count sacks when it comes to evaluating defensive linemen. That's why he sees what some might not be able to when it comes to assessing Bosa's play this season.

"The world today, the media, that's all they talk about. They're going to evaluate everything and they evaluate using the stats," Fickell said. "When you really break it down, you look deep down inside it, he's the example to what you want everybody to do—to not worry about the selfish things. To not harp on the stats, but the little things that matter."

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Nevertheless, it's worth noting that with his 3.5 sacks this season, Bosa currently sits at fourth on the Buckeyes' career list with 24.5, having just passed his uncle, former Ohio State linebacker Eric Kumerow. Bosa could very well wind up second on that list by season's end, passing the 27.5 sacks tallied by Jason Simmons, but it's highly unlikely he'll ever eclipse the total of Vrabel, the former Buckeyes defensive line coach who recruited him to Columbus.

That's because Bosa is a essentially a lock to be joining Vrabel—now an assistant with the Houston Texans—in the professional ranks next year. Bleacher Report NFL Draft Lead Writer Matt Miller projected the Sunshine State product to be the No. 1 overall pick in his most recent 2016 mock draft, a forecast that has been shared by CBSSports.com's Dane Brugler and ESPN's Todd McShay:

While his pedestrian sack total may have caused some fans to forget just how dominant Bosa is, the same can't be said for the NFL. Nor can it for Ohio State's opponents, which have devoted entire game plans to containing him.

But despite their best efforts, Bosa has only gotten better.

Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Big Ten lead writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes were obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of CFBStats.com. Recruiting rankings courtesy of 247Sports.