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End Zone: OSU Buckeyes

Cyber critics aren't fans of Fickell's work as defensive coordinator

10/24/2013

There are three age-old proverbs I can recite by memory: An apple a day keeps the doctor away, birds of a feather flock together ... and Luke Fickell should be fired as Ohio State's defensive coordinator.

These are not my words. I have read it from OSUPizzaGuy44 and 10,000 of his closest cyber friends for the past year.

None of us on the outside has a tenth of the intel needed to make that suggestion.

I think Fickell is a loyal lieutenant, a good recruiter, and an excellent linebackers coach whose ability as a coordinator — to be the highest-paid assistant ($600,000) offensive-minded coach Urban Meyer leaves in charge of the defense — remains to be seen.

By OSU standards, his unit is an impostor. It was only after Meyer got personally involved that the defense improved last year, and the Buckeyes this season are allowing 26 points per game in Big Ten play.

Their pass defense is 80th nationally. North is south, and three yards and a cloud of dust has become 50 yards and see you later — on both sides of the ball.

Fortunately for the Silver Bullets, the offense is one heck of a scarlet herring.

Contact David Briggs at: dbriggs@theblade.com, 419-724-6084 or on Twitter @DBriggsBlade.