Here we go.
Last week, in a hat tip the the Midsummer Classic, I made my selections outlining the offensive all-stars during Urban Meyer's time at Ohio State.
Today, I look at the defensive side of the football. My picks seem like mostly slam dunks though there is certainly legit debate to be had.
I'm sure you'll chirp loud and hard for any perceived mistakes in my lineup. With that, here's my Urban Meyer era defensive all-stars.
DE: JOEY BOSA AND JOHN SIMON
Hard to go wrong with these two ballers.
Joey Bosa starred for the Buckeyes from 2013 to 2015 picking up freshman All-American accolades in 2013 followed by a monster 2014 campaign that saw The Shrug accumulate B1G Defensive Player of the Year honors along with 1st-Team All-American status while leading the league in sacks and TFL. In 2015, Bosa was still bossy as he nabbed 1st-Team All-American honors will earning his second All-B1G Defensive Lineman of the Year award thanks to a conference-best 13.5 TFL.
Opposite Bosa I'm going with none other than John Simon. Playing just one year under Meyer in Columbus, Simon was the heart and soul of the undefeated 2012 Buckeyes as he racked up 14.5 TFL and nine sacks in league action on the way to B1G Defensive Player of the Year honors.
The eighth two-time captain in Buckeye lore, Simon epitomized the 2012 squad that was inarguably greater than the sum of its parts.
Though Bosa and Simon were locks for their slots, a year from now we could be talking about Sam Hubbard supplanting Simon or maybe even Tyquan Lewis. asdf
DT: JOHNATHAN HANKINS AND MICHAEL BENNETT
I'm taking Johnathan Hankins at the nose guard spot following a 2012 season that saw him record 55 tackles and four TFL while largely hogging up two blockers allowing guys like Ryan Damn Shazier to run free at the second level.
Flanking Hankins, I'm going with Michael Bennett over Adolphus Washington.
Bennett was an absolute monster down the stretch of the 2014 national title run following the death of Kosta Karageorge turning in some of the most inspired play I've ever seen by a Buckeye.
Bennett tied a B1G championship game record with four TFL versus Wisconsin pushing his season total to 14.0 following a 2013 campaign that saw him tally 11.5 TFL.
Washington was a beast in his own right as a three-year starter with 17.5 TFL over the 2014 and '15 seasons.
I could see someone taking Washington to start but I can't overlook how legit Bennett played when it mattered most in 2014.
LB: RYAN SHAZIER, RAEKWON MCMILLAN, DARRON LEE
So this seems like a solid trio.
Shazier on one edge is a no-brainer after the bald beauty left Ohio State with the 6th-most solo tackles and TFL by a Buckeye.
Featuring a style built on reckless abandon, Shazier recorded 15 games with at least 10 tackles and put up a ridiculous 22.5 TFL in 2013.
In the middle, the choice wasn't hard though Raekwon McMillan's resume is far from complete. Despite a lack of big plays, McMillan tallied a team-leading 119 stops in 2015, good for fourth in the B1G.
On the other edge, Darron Lee is an easy choice after putting up 27.5 TFL and 12 sacks over his final two years in Columbus.
On the outside looking in, I'm going with Joshua Perry as my first guy off the bench with Curtis Grant and Zach Boren at least a rung below.
CB: BRADLEY ROBY AND ELI APPLE
A three-year starter in Columbus, Roby led the nation with 19 pass breakups in 2012 earning the distinction as a Thorpe Award semifinalist. The following season Roby was a 1st-Team B1G selection thanks to 16 passes defensed.
Not just a factor in the passing game, Roby placed third on the team in tackles in both seasons and while it's not part of the criteria, he was a terror on the punt block team.
Opposite Roby, I'm taking Eli Apple by the slimmest of margins over Doran Grant.
Apple was a 2nd-Team All-B1G performer in 2015 and posted eight pass breakups, good for second on the team behind Vonn Bell. The year prior, Apple led the squad with 10 PBU.
Grant over Apple is absolutely a fair argument following a 2014 campaign that saw him serve as a team captain on the way to 1st-Team All-B1G honors.
SAFETY: VONN BELL AND CHRISTIAN BRYANT
Vonn Bell is a no-brainer and one of my favorite Buckeyes of all time. Despite being held back as a freshman, Bell stormed onto the scene is 2014 with 92 tackles - the most by a safety since Mike Doss in 2002 - while his six interceptions led the team.
Bell led the team with nine PBU in 2015 on the way to 1st-Team All-American accolades. Damn I'm going to miss the way Bell brought the wood in the run game and flashed such playmaking ability while largely covering up Tyvis Powell's shortcomings.
Alongside Bell, I'm going with Christian Bryant over Powell and C.J. Barnett.
Bryant was a 2nd-Team All-B1G selection in 2012 placing second on the team in tackles and was on his way to a solid 2013 season before snapping his ankle in the closing minutes versus Wisconsin.
Bryant's overall numbers might be a tad slight but the dude brought wood in the run game is my easy choice to line up with Bell on the back line.
Barnett was a captain in 2013 and ranked second on the squad in stops (84) on the way to All-B1G Honorable Mention status following a 2012 season that saw him rank fourth on the team in tackles despite missing three games.
Powell is surely a starter for many of you, I frankly just never bought into the hype and felt like Bell covered for him during the bulk of his career. An engaging personality, Powell's locker room presence shouldn't be overlooked but I still feel his poor angles in run support are too glaring to ignore and his couple token interceptions during the playoff stretch don't carry much weight with me.
I'm very comfortable with Bryant in that slot paired with Bell.
