The 2009 Bam Childress Award: The Nominees - Defense

As a matter of clarification, yes, there will be a separate award handed out to an offensive and defensive player each. I enter the 2009 season with less trepidation about the state of the defense than I do the offense, as I'm sure is the case with most of you. All of the anticipated breakout players of 2009 seem to have a greater shot at breaking out because they play for a unit that is consistently tops in the nation in multiple categories. At Ohio State, defensive playmakers just develop quicker and with greater frequency than offensive players. For all the hate you may direct at Bollman for the lack of development along the offensive line, you should direct a relatively equal amount of praise at Jim Heacock, who, national title debacles aside, tends to get the most out of his best athletes before they dart for the NFL.  It may seem as though expectations are not particularly high for this defense, but that's only because the bar has been set so high; anything less than continued statistical dominance will be seen as a massive disappointment. It's not entirely fair, but Heacock knows the standard he has set and would probably be the first to tell you when that standard is not being met.

There are fewer Bammie candidates on the defensive side of the ball only because the defense is looking at just five new starters, as opposed to the offense's seven. Add on to the comparatively-minor turnover the fact that almost everyone who'll be making a significant contribution this year has already seen the field as part of a rotation, and some of the faces don't seem as worrisomely fresh as they may have been otherwise.

Brian Rolle

Two years ago, an opposing kick returner was flattened by an undersized freshman linebacker whose arms looked larger than his torso from a distance. Unfortunately, that hit technically never happened; there was a penalty on the play, and Ohio State had to re-kick. On the re-kick, that same freshman darted back downfield and again planted the returner, getting a big cheer from the Buckeye crowd. That freshman's name was Brian Rolle. When Tyler Moeller was crossed off this season's depth chart, all were disappointed but most knew that it was time for the Buckeyes to showcase their depth at linebacker. The first name on everyone's mind was that one guy who flattens people for a living. I was a little surprised that Rolle didn't win the spot this spring, but clearly, Moeller brings a bit of a different game to the table as a converted safety than Rolle. In fall camp, Rolle moved inside and Spitler moved outside. Now, the little guy - he's 5'11" on a good day - is going to get his chance to shine. He has said he doesn't want to be average, and this is his last and best chance to prove he's not. No one of this defense has developed a reputation as a hitter outside of Rolle, and I'm expecting him to bring a level of physicality to the linebacker position not seen here since AJ Hawk. Dude's also got an excellent dentist.

Official WWAHT Breakout Year Hype-O-Meter: 9 Bam Childresses out of 10

Doug Worthington

This one is a bit debatable - Worthington has been seeing significant time at various positions (mostly DT) for two years straight, and he has been... solid. Nothing spectacular, which is what most were expecting when he came to OSU as a five-star recruit. I've said in the past that he's playing out of position, but as DT, he does provide the occasional adequate pass rush. This year, he has to step it up in the wake of Nader Abdallah's graduation. While he'll never be the run stuffer Ohio State sorely needs, he can be an okay space-eater against the average teams on Ohio State's schedule. This year, he needs to come up big against either one of USC or Penn State. If he can be the feared guy on the Ohio State defensive interior in his last year, his career will be a rip-roaring success in my book.

Official WWAHT Breakout Year Hype-O-Meter: 7 Bam Childresses out of 10

Jermale Hines

This year, I was expecting more of the same from Jermale Hines at the nickleback position. That is, until recently. Word out of practice is that Hines is legitimately pushing three-and-a-half year starter Anderson Russell for playing time. Hines excels where Russell frequently doesn't - in coverage against spread teams - but Russell is without a doubt the more consistent performer up to this point. Hines is known for his bone-jarring hits than his coverage ability, but that's last year. This year, he's lining up at deep safety, rotating with Russell, which tells me the coaching staff is confident enough in his development as a coverage guy to make him the last line of defense against long bombs.

Official WWAHT Breakout Year Hype-O-Meter: 7 Bam Childresses out of 10

Honorable Mentions

Austin Spitler - The guy's had it rough. He spent three years (four if you count the redshirt season) toiling away behind James Laurinaitis, and in his senior year, he's going to have to transition to the outside to make up for the absence of Tyler Moeller. Add onto that the fact that up until now, his legacy is this:

If you don't remember this, you had turned off your TV at this point. That's Spitler giving LSU a new set of downs.

and you can see why the pressure is on Spitler. Fortunately, Spits doesn't have to worry as much as others about preseason hype, mostly because he has already contributed quality time spelling Laurinaitis and guiding the defense in mop-up duty. Expectations are sorta "meh" for him; for whatever reason, no one really expects him to dominate. I wrote in the Buckeye Battle Cry that this season will make or break his career, but the preseason hype about him simply isn't in the stratosphere like it is for the other guys; as a result, he just garners an honorable mention.

Official WWAHT Breakout Year Hype-O-Meter: 3 Bam Childresses out of 10

Nathan Williams - Williams came on late in the '08 season as a true freshman pass-rushing extraordinaire, notching two sacks against Northwestern and generally raising hell when he finally got the chance to hit the field. A December shoplifting arrest (which is why I call him Nathan "But A G Thang" Williams) failed to slow his progress, and good things have been emanating from both spring and fall camp. Williams steps into a loaded situation at defensive end - Gibson, Wilson, Heyward and Worthington all have legitimate shots at more playing time than the sophomore - and that's why I've relegated him to honorable mention status. If the situation at DE wasn't so crowded, I'd be a bit higher on Williams' chances of being the breakout player this fall. As I said Wednesday, however, I do think we'll see Nathan Williams in on 3rd-and-long, perhaps as part of a line that consists of him, Cameron Heyward, Lawrence Wilson, and Thaddeus Gibson; the four best pass rushers on the team. While that may only be a figment of my dreams, I think there's a better-than-average chance of it becoming reality.

Official WWAHT Breakout Year Hype-O-Meter: 4 Bam Childresses out of 10

As before, I'm willing to accept other write-in candidates and critiques of the current ones.