COLUMBUS, Ohio -- If Luke Fickell had his way, he wouldn’t even need to see the evidence in action.
Having one of the nation’s most fearsome red zone defenses is great for the Ohio State coordinator, make no mistake about it. But as he took a deep breath and wiped away a bit of sweat from his forehead after another game went down to the wire, Fickell finally had a chance to smile as the pressure he and his unit had been under on the most important part of the field started to fade away.
The last few yards on the way to the end zone have been the hardest for opponents to get this season against the Buckeyes, and they certainly take pride in that.