Buckeye Live With George Lehner

This week on Buckeye Live we have the best of press conferences from the Big Ten Media Days. We brought you Wisconsin's Paul Chryst and Michigan State's Mark Dantonio earlier in the week.

Now we have Penn State's James Franklin and Nebraska's new head coach Scott Frost talking about the College Football Playoff and what they think of it.

Since I did the All-Time Ohio State offensive line two-deep yesterday and turnabout is fair play, here is the All-Time Ohio State defensive line two deep.

Before we get going, here is a list of the players that didn’t make the All-Time two-deep roster-

Vernon Gholston, Alonzo Spellman, Luke Fickell, Michael Bennet, Nick Bounamici, Matt Finkes, Nick Bosa, Ryan Pickett, Jerome Foster, Bill Willis. All great players in their own right, Nick Bosa might even be the first overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, but just missing the cut. Yes, you could make an argument for each and every one of these players, but it’s my article so…. sorry.

Starting with the first stringers-

Mike Vrabel (1993-96) The All-Time leader at Ohio State with 36 sacks, he is also the school’s record holder for TFL (66) and single-season holder for the same (26). Earning first-team All-American in his junior and senior years make this selection a no-brainer even when you take out what he did in the NFL (3 Super Bowl rings, Belichick’s “Secret Weapon”). He is currently the Head Coach of the Tennessee Titans.

Dan Wilkinson (1992-93) Moving from the other side of the ball, “Big Daddy” came to Ohio State as an offensive tackle. That changed after his freshman season when he dropped almost fifty pounds and moved to defense. His sophomore year he earned first-team All-Big 10 honors and then repeated that his junior year also adding first-team All-American as
the Buckeyes won the Big 10.

Jim Stillwagon (1968-70) One of the “Super Sophs”, Stillwagon’s class delivered a National Championship, three Big 10 titles and only lost 2 games in their time in Columbus. Stillwagon himself was a first-team All-American in 1969 and 1970. In 1970 he also won the Outland Trophy, the Lombardi Award, the UPI Lineman of the Year award, and the Ohio State team MVP award.

Jim Marshall (1957-1958) I admit that this pick is as much about what Marshall did AFTER he left Ohio State as it is about what he did AT Ohio State. After spending 1957 as a member of Ohio State’s National Championship winning team, Marshall earned first-team All-American honors as a junior and in the Purdue game that year (a 14-14 tie) he scored all of Ohio State’s points (INT return, fumble return, kicked both PATs). He is probably best known as a member of the Minnesota Viking’s “Purple People Eater” defense.

That’s a pretty solid first string I think, but who made the second string?

Joey Bosa (2013-15) This is probably the first time in Joey’s life he has ever been second string. Regardless, he’s a great pick for any list. Finishing his career third on Ohio State’s sack list (26), he also made first-team Freshman All-American and first-team Freshman Big 10 in his first year. His junior and senior years he also collected first-team All-Big 10 (both years), first-team All-American (both years), and the Big 10’s Nagurski-Woodson Award for the top defensive player (2014).

Cameron Heyward (2007-10) The son of late NFL star “Ironhead” Craig Heyward, he did well for himself during his time at Ohio State. Finishing with 15.5 sacks in his career and 37.5 TFLs he also earned Freshman All-American and was an All-Big 10 selection in 2010.

Jonathan Hankins (2010-12) An All-American in 2012, Hankins was the type of run-stuffing tackle every line needs. He also has the odd claim to fame for having played under a different head coach each year at OSU (Jim Tressel, Luke Fickle, Urban Meyer).

Will Smith (2000-03) A member of the 2002 National Championship team, Smith earned first-team All-American honors his senior year. Still 8th all-time on the Buckeyes career sack list (22) and 7th for a single-season (10.5). Will Smith was shot and killed following a traffic collision on April 9, 2016; the man involved was convicted of Manslaughter and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

So there you have it folks, my choices for the All-Time Ohio State D-line two-deep roster. Do you agree or disagree? Let me hear it.

ON TONIGHT'S SHOW WE HAVE GEORGE IN-STUDIO WITH US AS WELL AS FORMER OHIO STATE DE AND TV ANALYST JAY RICHARDSON. TOGETHER GEORGE AND JAY DISCUSS THE UPCOMING SEASON, CHAMPIONSHIP ODDS, STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THE BUCKEYES AND WHAT POSITION BATTLES TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR IN THE FALL PRACTICES. WE ALSO HAVE VIDEO OF THE SPEECH THAT URBAN MEYER MADE TO THE GRADUATING CLASS OF THE COLUMBUS POLICE DEPARTMENT.