Ohio State 2011-2012 DT - Michael Bennett (National Champion)

PHATBUCK13 · Jun 17, 2012

Ohio State football: Bennett earns Meyerâ€™s praise
By Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
SUNDAY JUNE 17, 2012 6:12 AM

Michael Bennett is used to in-your-face coaches at Ohio State from his high-school days in Centerville.

Anyone paying attention to Ohio State football knows by now that new coach Urban Meyer pulls few punches.

From calling the offensive line â€œnonfunctionalâ€ at the beginning of spring drills, to saying the offense was a â€œclown showâ€ early but that it improved as time went on, he has let his feelings fly. But heâ€™s the same when dishing deserved praise, too.

Take was the case last month when he spoke about the post-spring depth chart and what he saw as a slight to sophomore defensive lineman Michael Bennett.

â€œWeâ€™ve got him listed with Johnathan Hankins as a backup, and thatâ€™s not necessarily going to be the case in the fall,â€ Meyer said. â€œWeâ€™ll rotate guys in, and our four best will be on the field. And itâ€™s hard for me to say heâ€™s not one of the four best, so weâ€™ll move him around.â€

Call that one of the benefits of the attitude Bennett took from that start in dealing with the in-your-face approach of Meyer, defensive line coach Mike Vrabel, who coached linebackers in 2011, and defensive coordinator Luke Fickell, who served as coach last season.

â€œOne of the best things about this new coaching staff is theyâ€™re blunt with you,â€ Bennett said. â€œTheyâ€™re not trying to coddle you. Theyâ€™re not trying to make you feel good. They will make you feel good if youâ€™re doing a good job, but (if not), youâ€™re going to hear it from them first, and theyâ€™re not going to try to protect your feelings.â€

Bennett said he has always thrived on the tell-it-like-it-is approach, something he appreciated about the coaches at Centerville High School.

â€œThatâ€™s what Centervilleâ€™s about,â€ Bennett said. â€œTheyâ€™re not trying to just ease you through life. Sometimes you need to be woken up.â€

He answered the Meyer alarm clock with gusto starting in January and reaped the rewards.

â€œEverything (Meyer) does, you want him to look at you and be impressed with you,â€ Bennett said. â€œYou really want coach Meyer to tell his other coaches, â€˜Hey, this guy is one we want on the field.â€™ â€

So it was for Bennett during the spring, but the work started in the winter.

â€œI think I improved a lot between winter and spring,â€ Bennett said. â€œCoach Vrabel gave us a lot of new drills that really helped us, like flipping the hips â€” something as small as that helps us a lot. Personally, I know the winter (drills) helped me. I leaned out a little bit. I feel like that was a really good offseason.â€

The enhanced mobility showed on the field, because now heâ€™s looking to be used more at defensive end on the flank closest to the sideline â€” the boundary side.

â€œI prefer that a lot more than a three-technique (defensive tackle). â€¦ That will be a big thing I work on in the offseason,â€ said Bennett, whose aim is to make another improvement leap before preseason camp in August.

Meyer put it bluntly to his team coming out of spring drills, that the Buckeyes need to have â€œthe greatest offseason in historyâ€ if they hope to U-turn on the road that took them to 6-7 last year, the schoolâ€™s first losing season since 1988.

Bennett didnâ€™t take the challenge as a personal affront. He embraced it.

â€œYouâ€™ve got to come in every day, and not just to lift for whatever, but lift and then go off and work on some of the drills for another hour, and then get treatment for another hour,â€ Bennett said. â€œItâ€™s the offseason, but it should be three to four hours of work every day.â€

tmay@dispatch.com
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Ohio State football: Bennett earns Meyer

OSUBasketballJunkie · Jun 18, 2012

ozone.net

Bennett Not Fazed by Spot on Depth Chart
By Brandon Castel

COLUMBUS, Ohio â€” Michael Bennett was one of the most coveted players on the defensive side of the ball in the class of 2011.

He was also one of the top performers at Ohio State during the spring. After just one season of college football, the sophomore out of Centerville had worked his way onto the top defensive unit for the Buckeyes.

It looked like he was primed for a breakout season in year No. 2, but thatâ€™s not what the depth chart showed when the dust settled from Urban Meyerâ€™s first spring at Ohio State.

â€œMichael Bennett has only been here a year,â€ Meyer said after listing him as a backup at defensive

â€œI know we have him listed with Johnathan Hankins as a backup. That may not necessarily be the case this fall. We will rotate him in and our four best guys will be on the field at one time. Itâ€™s hard for me to say heâ€™s not one of our four best.â€

That had to be the way Bennett felt as well, especially after performing so well in the spring. He started out a second-team guy behind junior Adam Bellamy, but it was only handful of practices before the 6-3, 277-pound Bennett was working with the first group.

â€œIt feels good to work up to that,â€ he said.

Continued...............
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OSUBasketballJunkie · Jul 31, 2012

ozone.net

Football
Most Important Buckeyes: No. 19
By Tony Gerdeman

In a disjointed year of disappointment and difficulty, one of the few bright spots of the 2011 season came in the form of freshman defensive lineman Michael Bennett.

Bennett, out of Ohio State-friendly Centerville, Ohio, played in every game last season and finished with 17 tackles. That may not sound like a lot, but also keep in mind that he finished tied for second on the team in sacks (3.0), and tied for fourth in tackles for loss (5.0).

Despite playing in a reserve role, he managed to have an impact when given an opportunity. Those opportunities will come much more frequently in 2012.

What Makes Him Important

Just a sophomore, Bennett will likely be the second-most versatile defensive lineman on the roster behind John Simon. At 6-3 and 277 pounds, he can play defensive end or defensive tackle.

His quickness allows him to play defensive end, and it also makes him very difficult to block in small spaces when he's lined up at defensive tackle. As an interior lineman in high school, he was quite accustomed to mixing it up in sequestered quarters.

When Urban Meyer released his post-spring depth chart, he made special mention of Bennett, who was listed as a backup.

â€œI know we have him listed with Johnathan Hankins as a backup," Meyer said.

"That may not necessarily be the case this fall. We will rotate him in and our four best guys will be on the field at one time. Itâ€™s hard for me to say heâ€™s not one of our four best.â€

Bennett's presence allows for easier rotation on the defensive line because he can simply slide over no matter who the coaches send in.

Continued...........
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Killer Nut91 · Jul 31, 2012

Bennett is a beast! I'm surprised he isn't talked about more. He will be a BIG playmaker for Urban and the Buckeyes

OSUBasketballJunkie · Aug 6, 2012

PHATBUCK13 · Aug 8, 2012

PHATBUCK13 · Aug 8, 2012

bennett 8 7 12 mpg - YouTube

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PHATBUCK13 · Aug 8, 2012

OSUBasketballJunkie · Aug 8, 2012

Scout.com$

Bennett Fighting Way To Starting Role................On a defensive line that boasts plenty of talent, sophomore Michael Bennett has emerged as solid contributor for the Buckeyes. A taekwondo black belt, Bennett has shown plenty of flexibility in his time at Ohio State.

OSUBasketballJunkie · Aug 8, 2012

Update.......

Bennett ready wherever Bucks need him
August, 8, 2012
By Austin Ward | ESPN.com

The key is finding a spot in the first four.

Michael Bennett doesn't care which one.

The sophomore defensive lineman is comfortable playing inside at tackle or sliding out to end, along with the ability to pull off a transition like that. And while it might be easier to focus on just one of those positions, specialization doesn't have nearly as much value to Ohio State as it puts together a starting rotation.

"Iâ€™m willing to play where the coaches put me," Bennett said after practice on Tuesday. "I know the three-technique and I know the end. Right now they have me at end, but itâ€™s the beginning of camp.

"You never know."

That uncertainty isn't an issue for Bennett, whose versatility only strengthens and deepens a unit that's already on the short list for most talented in the nation.

The Buckeyes can use him on the interior along with Johnathan Hankins and Garrett Goebel without losing much beef with Bennett checking in at 6-foot-3, 277 pounds.

Or he can come off the edge since he's got quickness that doesn't often come in packages that size, allowing him to complement John Simon, Steve Miller or perhaps Nathan Williams once he returns from knee surgery.

Even without factoring in talented newcomers like Se'Von Pittman, Noah Spence or Adolphus Washington, earning a starting gig isn't going to be easy in the Ohio State training camp. Which is exactly why flexibility like Bennett provides will be invaluable.

"Michael was probably running with the first team through most of spring," defensive coordinator Luke Fickell said. "He really showed a lot, he performed well for us as a true freshman (last year), one of those intelligent guys that picks things up pretty quick. Heâ€™s going to have the ability, probably, to play more than one position for us.

"When you have versatility, we have a chance to use you a lot more."
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PHATBUCK13 · Aug 9, 2012

Sounds like Bennett has surpassed Bellamy to earn a spot in the top 4....

I like the move...

PHATBUCK13 · Aug 12, 2012

Centerville grad impressing early with OSU | www.daytondailynews.com

PHATBUCK13 · Aug 12, 2012

PHATBUCK13 · Aug 12, 2012

OSUBasketballJunkie · Aug 13, 2012

OSUBasketballJunkie · Aug 14, 2012

Scout.com$

OSU Media Day: Michael Bennett...............Ohio State sophomore Michael Bennett talks with FOX Sports NEXT about his impression of the freshmen, this camp compared to previous seasons as well as working with Coach Mike Vrabel.

ScarletMerica · Aug 15, 2012

Reminds me of Cam Heyward in the pic's

PHATBUCK13 · Aug 31, 2012

Bennet Injury Could Shake up D-Line Rotation

COLUMBUS â€” It will be interesting to watch how first-year defensive coordinator Luke Fickell and his best pal Mike Vrabel treat their rotations Saturday on the defensive line.

Fickellâ€™s predecessor Jim Heacock â€“ the man who both coached him as a player on the defensive line in the mid 1990s and then became his boss at Ohio State under Jim Tressel â€“ loved to rotate 8 or 9 guys across the defensive front.

He once told me the concept was forged during the waning moments of Ohio Stateâ€™s 31-14 thrashing at the hands of Bobby Bowdenâ€™s Seminoles in the 1998 Sugar Bowl. The Buckeyes were a 10-2 football team that year with losses to Penn State and, you guessed it, Michigan.

But they were no match for Florida State quarterback Thad Busby, who swung the ball all around the field that day for 334 yards â€“ 176 of which went to E.G. Green, who was named the gameâ€™s Most Valuable Player.

That award might have gone to star defensive end Andre Wadsworth, who had two of FSUâ€™s six sacks and one of their six interceptions â€“ yes SIX picks â€“ except longtime defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews was rotating guys on his defensive line faster than Coop could keep track.

â€œQuick, relentless pressure throughout the ballgame,â€ marveled then-OSU coach John Cooper.

â€œTheir pass rush was the best I've seen in a long time. We did not have time to throw the football.â€

It was there, in the agony of defeat, Heacock decided to emulate Andrewsâ€™ effective strategy â€“ after all, football has almost always been a copycat game. But the Buckeyes havenâ€™t always had the talent to do what Florida State did to them back in New Orleans.

That was especially true last season, after the Buckeyes lost senior Nathan Williams for the season after just one game. Heacock scrambled to develop some younger guys around juniors John Simon and Garrett Goebel, but he did not have many options.

Luckily, sophomore Johnathan Hankins had gotten himself in good enough shape to be a force in the middle of the defense, but Heacockâ€™s front got little to no pressure as the season wore on.

Replacing Bennett

Fickell is hoping that wonâ€™t be the case with his group in 2012. The Buckeyes return almost everyone from the defensive line a year ago, although redshirt junior Adam Bellamy left the team for unspecified personal reasons during fall camp.

One of the young guys who did emerge for Heacock last season was freshman Michael Bennett. The Centerville product had three sacks and five tackles-for-loss as a rookie, and he is expected to be a mainstay on the defensive line this season, except a nagging groin injury has kept him from practicing much this fall.

With Simon playing the â€˜Leoâ€™ spot â€“ a hybrid rush end/ outside linebacker â€“ on the other side, Bennett had emerged ahead of Bellamy as the starter at strongside end. He is expected to play in the season-opener, but groin injuries can linger well into the season if not treated properly. It wouldnâ€™t be prudent to expect Bennett to play more than a series or two against the Redhawks.

Re-enter Nathan Williams

That should open the door for some younger guys to see some MACtion in the opener, but it could also clear the way for a familiar face. Almost a year after playing what could have been his last game at Ohio State, Nathan Williams is back.

Now a fifth-year senior, Williams was among the team-leaders in sacks and tackles for loss two years ago, but he is coming off microfracture surgery.

Nathan Williams
Photo by Jim Davidson
â€œHe has great hands and heâ€™s a quick-twitch guy,â€ Meyer said on Wednesday after practice.

â€œPeople told me he was one of our best players the couple last years on defense. He looked really good (Tuesday). Heâ€™s a good player, obviously.â€

If he is back to full strength â€“ and full speed â€“ Williams is better than good. He could be great. He could be better than Simon, if heâ€™s right. Itâ€™s probably going to take some time to shake the rust off, but the good news is defensive line is any easy spot to get reacquainted with the game.

Going Deeper

Even if heâ€™s physically ready to play at full speed Saturday, Williams isnâ€™t going to get a full workload right out the gates. They are going to be cautious with that knee, and there is no need to push it against a team like Miami.

However, Meyer does want to control the Redhawksâ€™ passing attack with his pass rush, which means guys like Noah Spence, Steve Miller and even J.T. Moore should see plenty of time on the defensive line Saturday.

Spence is the guy to really keep an eye on. The freshman from Pennsylvania is considered to be the best pure pass-rusher on the defensive line, and the best athlete in the group according to Simon.

Another guy who should see some action Saturday is Adolphus Washington. Like Spence, he was a star defensive end prospect in high school, but heâ€™s grown into a guy who will likely spend a lot of time inside.

Washington told me his goal as a freshman is to make sure there is no drop-off if Hankins has to come out of the game. Freshman Tommy Schutt could also see some time at the 3-technique spot and Joel Hale should get a look at nose tackle behind Goebel.

That would put them at 11 guys, including Bennett and Williams, who could be in the rotation on Saturday. It could even be 12 or 13 if Chris Carter or Seâ€™Von Pittman get in the game.

From a number standpoint, thatâ€™s more guys than they are going to use later in the year, especially once they start Big Ten play. Fickell and Vrabel are not going to want to take Simon or Hankins of the field unless they absolutely have to. Same with a healthy Nathan Williams, but right now they need to figure which 8-9 guys they can count on.

DEFENSIVE LINE DEPTH CHART

LEO
54 John Simon (6-2, 260, Sr.)
88 Steve Miller (6-3, 255, So.) OR
8 Noah Spence (6-3, 240, Fr.)

DEFENSIVE TACKLE
52 Johnathan Hankins (6-4, 317, Jr.)
92 Adolphus Washington (6-3, 289, Fr.) OR
90 Tommy Schutt (6-2, 305, Fr.)

NOSE TACKLE
53 Garrett Goebel (6-4, 285, rSr.)
51 Joel Hale (6-4, 295, So.)
72 Chris Carter (6-4, 358, rFr.)

STRONGSIDE END
63 Michael Bennett (6-3, 277, So.)
50 J.T. Moore (6-3, 250, rSo.)
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OSUBasketballJunkie · Sep 1, 2012

Small update.......

Defensive lineman Michael Bennett will be limited, if he plays, against Miami because of a lingering groin injury.
Click to expand...

OSUBasketballJunkie · Sep 3, 2012

Brandon Castel ‏@BCastOZone

John Simon said Bennett is feeling good, but gave no indication of how much he might play.

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Ohio State 2011-2012 DT - Michael Bennett (National Champion)

PHATBUCK13 My favorite athlete of all time is Myself

OSUBasketballJunkie Proud to be a Buckeye Staff Member

OSUBasketballJunkie Proud to be a Buckeye Staff Member

Killer Nut91 The Real Slim Shady

OSUBasketballJunkie Proud to be a Buckeye Staff Member

PHATBUCK13 My favorite athlete of all time is Myself

PHATBUCK13 My favorite athlete of all time is Myself

PHATBUCK13 My favorite athlete of all time is Myself

OSUBasketballJunkie Proud to be a Buckeye Staff Member

OSUBasketballJunkie Proud to be a Buckeye Staff Member

PHATBUCK13 My favorite athlete of all time is Myself

PHATBUCK13 My favorite athlete of all time is Myself

PHATBUCK13 My favorite athlete of all time is Myself

PHATBUCK13 My favorite athlete of all time is Myself

OSUBasketballJunkie Proud to be a Buckeye Staff Member

OSUBasketballJunkie Proud to be a Buckeye Staff Member

ScarletMerica Super Buckin' Moderator Staff Member

PHATBUCK13 My favorite athlete of all time is Myself

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Ohio State 2011-2012 DT - Michael Bennett (National Champion)

PHATBUCK13 My favorite athlete of all time is Myself

OSUBasketballJunkie Proud to be a Buckeye Staff Member

OSUBasketballJunkie Proud to be a Buckeye Staff Member

Killer Nut91 The Real Slim Shady

OSUBasketballJunkie Proud to be a Buckeye Staff Member

PHATBUCK13 My favorite athlete of all time is Myself

PHATBUCK13 My favorite athlete of all time is Myself

PHATBUCK13 My favorite athlete of all time is Myself

OSUBasketballJunkie Proud to be a Buckeye Staff Member

OSUBasketballJunkie Proud to be a Buckeye Staff Member

PHATBUCK13 My favorite athlete of all time is Myself

PHATBUCK13 My favorite athlete of all time is Myself

PHATBUCK13 My favorite athlete of all time is Myself

PHATBUCK13 My favorite athlete of all time is Myself

OSUBasketballJunkie Proud to be a Buckeye Staff Member

OSUBasketballJunkie Proud to be a Buckeye Staff Member

ScarletMerica Super Buckin' Moderator Staff Member

PHATBUCK13 My favorite athlete of all time is Myself

OSUBasketballJunkie Proud to be a Buckeye Staff Member

OSUBasketballJunkie Proud to be a Buckeye Staff Member

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