5 months ago
- Ohio State
- Published: Dec. 29, 2025, 1:00 a.m.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- As Ohio State prepares for its Cotton Bowl showdown pinch Miami, nan latest Buckeye Talk podcast has identified what could beryllium nan astir important strategical accommodation for nan Buckeyes’ defense – unleashing linebacker Arvell Reese arsenic a walk rusher alternatively of continuing to usage him chiefly arsenic a spy.
The podcast’s heavy dive into protect unit usage revealed a astonishing statistic that has mostly gone unnoticed: contempt Reese’s estimation arsenic a disruptive force, his pass-rushing opportunities person been severely constricted successful caller games.
“Arvell Reese has 25 pressures connected nan year. Do immoderate of you want to return a conjecture astatine really galore of those pressures person travel successful nan past 5 games?” Stephen Means asked his co-hosts. The reply was shocking: “He’s had 3 pressures successful nan past 5 years. He had 1 against UCLA and 2 against Indiana.”
This melodramatic simplification successful Reese’s pass-rushing domiciled wasn’t arbitrary. As Means explained, “They person turned him into a threat conscionable by showing he mightiness blitz and past turning him into a spy.” This strategical displacement made consciousness against mobile quarterbacks for illustration Arch Manning, Bryce Underwood, and Devon Williams, wherever containing backmost scrambles was a priority.
However, against Miami backmost Carson Beck, this attack could beryllium leaving Ohio State’s astir potent protect limb underutilized. “Carson Beck is not a runner by immoderate means,” Means emphasized. “And successful fact, he is not bully erstwhile you nonstop guys astatine him astatine all.”
The statistical grounds supporting this statement is overwhelming. The podcast revealed Beck’s melodramatic capacity drop-off erstwhile facing pressure: “When he is kept clean, that’s astatine 76.8%. When he’s nether pressure, it’s 53.7%. When he’s not blitzed, it’s 78.5%. When he gets blitzed, it drops down to 68.2%.”
Even much damning were Beck’s PFF grades: “In his PFF grades, violative people erstwhile kept clean, 84. When not blitzed, 84.3. When nether pressure, 42. When blitzed, six.” As Means succinctly put it: “Those are nan numbers of a backmost you’d expect to beryllium successful his first twelvemonth wherever for illustration unit still is that stark of a quality successful what he is.”
Given these statistics, continuing to usage Reese chiefly arsenic a spy against a non-mobile backmost for illustration Beck would beryllium missing a monolithic strategical opportunity. “I deliberation nan clip of not letting Arvell conscionable spell needs to beryllium complete with,” Means declared. “That’s my X factor.”
The podcast hosts expressed vexation that Reese’s imaginable arsenic a game-wrecking walk rusher has been mostly untapped successful caller games. “I’m tired of draught analysts being nan only group allowed to talk astir Arvell Reese,” Means said. “I want to get backmost to talking astir Arvell.”
What makes this imaginable accommodation truthful compelling is really perfectly it aligns pinch Miami’s violative weaknesses. The Hurricanes’ discourtesy has struggled against unit each season, pinch Beck often making mistakes erstwhile rushed. Stefan Krajisnik noted nan clear mismatch: “We person a turnover prone backmost going up against a defense that disguises things really good and makes life very difficult for opposing quarterbacks. This screams to maine for illustration Matt Patricia’s going to strategy Ohio State into for illustration 3 aliases 4 interceptions.”
Unleashing Reese arsenic a walk rusher wouldn’t conscionable impact Beck straight – it would person cascading effects crossed Miami’s full violative approach. The Hurricanes’ violative coordinator Shannon Dawson has already shown a inclination to wantonness what’s moving successful favour of higher-risk plays. Under further unit from Reese, this inclination could beryllium exacerbated, starring to moreover much mistakes.
Beyond nan tactical advantages, letting Reese unreserved nan passer much often would adhd different magnitude to an already fearsome Ohio State walk unreserved led by Kaden Curry (who has 11 sacks, nan first 10+ sack play for an Ohio State subordinate since Chase Young successful 2019) and Kenyatta Jackson, who has been progressively disruptive arsenic nan play has progressed.
As nan Cotton Bowl approaches, Matt Patricia faces a important decision: proceed utilizing Reese successful nan blimpish spy domiciled that worked against mobile quarterbacks, aliases set nan crippled scheme to utilization Carson Beck’s well-documented struggles against unit by unleashing Reese arsenic nan pass-rushing unit he’s proven he tin be.
Based connected nan compelling grounds presented connected Buckeye Talk, nan reply seems clear – it’s clip to fto Arvell Reese hunt.
Here’s nan podcast for this week:
- Watch Ohio State shot get astatine squad edifice for nan Cotton Bowl
- Ohio State wounded report: Latest connected Buckeyes up of College Football Playoff crippled vs. Miami
- Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham connected if he dislikes Ohio State football: ‘I do now’
- Who are nan announcers for Ohio State vs. Miami successful nan Cotton Bowl?
This article was produced pinch assistance from AI devices and reviewed by Cleveland.com staff.
