Coming into this season, the biggest question marks for the defense were at defensive tackle and linebacker. At DT, the answer is pretty obvious - Kevin Givens and Robert Windsor are two quality starters, while the depth behind them is a bit iffy. But at least the starters can be relied on to be solid, if not All-Big Ten.
The same cannot he said for linebacker. More than halfway through the season, the starters are Cam Brown, Jan Johnson, and Koa Farmer. Brown is quick and tall, but seems to get lost in run coverage. Johnson is solid in the middle, but doesn’t have the athleticism needed to chase down ball carriers.