Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano took praise for his defensive line to an outrageous level Saturday, calling the unit the most talented he's been around. Including his Tampa Bay Buccaneers line from 2012-2013.
Wait, he said what?
"It is, and that's not a joke. We had a great player in Tampa by the name of Gerald McCoy. But that was one guy," Schiano told the Big Ten Network. "I go back to my days in Miami in '99 and 2000, and this is clearly a better group than those guys. And that's saying something."
It's not uncommon for a coach to talk up his players, but this is a little too much to swallow. Schiano was quick to acknowledge McCoy as one of the game's elite defensive linemen, but it's a natural stretch to suggest any college line is more talented than any NFL line, much less one featuring McCoy and Michael Bennett, who had a breakout season in Tampa under Schiano.
Reaction came quickly from two Buccaneers defensive linemen, both of whom played under Schiano.
"I'm guessing it was to make his defensive line more confident, but it surprised me that he said it," said George Johnson, per the Tampa Bay Times. "But, coming from Coach Schiano, it really didn't surprise me."
Said McCoy: "Everybody's entitled to their own opinion."
As for Schiano's mention of his defensive lines with the Miami Hurricanes, he coached the likes of 10-year pro Damione Lewis and former Giants DL William Joseph as UM's DC in 1999-2000.
The Buckeyes defensive line will be stout again this fall, featuring DEs Sam Hubbard, Tyquan Lewis, and Nick Bosa, the younger brother of 2016 Chargers first-round pick Joey Bosa. NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein, in fact, ranks Bosa and Hubbard among the top five edge rushers to watch in all of college football.
But they'll have to make a lot of collective noise in the NFL one day for Schiano's declaration to make it home.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
