The presence of a defensive line goes far beyond the numbers it registers every Saturday. It’s easy to see that much.

If a front group is breaking through the offensive line on a regular basis, sacking the quarterback is its reward, the icing on the cake for a job well done. Causing havoc and providing pressure is the number one concern.

Ohio State understands this. That’s why after recording just one sack against Rutgers, the Buckeye defense still feels solid about its job against the Scarlet Knights.

“I think we’re generating a lot of pressure, honestly,” senior defensive lineman Jonathon Cooper said on Wednesday. “You can look back on that game and you can watch the D-line, we’re getting there and we’re definitely affecting his passing.”

After a disappointing beginning to 2020 for a group that lost Jashon Cornell, Davon Hamilton, and Chase Young, the Ohio State defensive line completely overpowered Penn State in the trenches, recording five sacks and seven tackles for loss while applying pressure on nearly every single play.

Though Rutgers (just one sack, five tackles for loss) provided a lesser statistical output from the defensive line, the impact was still evident throughout. This is a group on the rise.

“Good defensive line play just all comes down to being disruptive,” senior linebacker Tuf Borland said. “And that’s what those guys are. I mean, regardless of what the sacks say or what the individual statistics say, those guys come ready to go every week and they really did play well.”

Multiple players have had their time to shine already this season. Haskell Garrett broke free against Nebraska, recording a pair of hits that resulted in lost yardage. It was Tommy Togiai’s turn in State College-- the defensive tackle recorded three sacks and handled the Penn State front line with ease.

Against Rutgers, there wasn’t just one player that stood out. This is a deep group that can send multiple looks at a team over the course of a game. In front of a group of physical linebackers, Cooper provided constant pressure alongside Tyreke Smith.

Sometimes, consistently reaching the quarterback like Ohio State did against Rutgers forces a team to change its game plan. Over the past two weeks, the Buckeye defense has seen its opponents come out of the locker room after halftime with an emphasis on getting rid of the ball quickly.

Cooper was quick to give his unit credit for the work it did in forcing those quick passes after what looked to be a statistically pedestrian showing.

“Our pass rush is getting there, it’s just the ball is coming out quick,” Cooper said. “You know, I think people are really starting to realize the kind of defensive line that we have, and they’re not dropping back passing or holding onto the ball very long. We’re still making an effect the best way that we can.”

Perhaps the most reliable judge of Ohio State’s pass rush may be its own quarterback.

Justin Fields has faced his fair share of defensive suffocation this season, and said just feeling the presence of a defense closing in is enough to rattle a quarterback and his offense.

“I think pressure can throw off the timing with a quarterback and the receivers, so I think that’s a big part,” Fields said of a defensive line’s pressure. “And it also helps the DBs-- he might have slipped or something-- or say if it’s a curl route and the quarterback has to move around the pocket, that throws off his timing. The D-line definitely has a lot to do with the success of the passing game and the secondary.”

No matter the outcome, Cooper and his unit won’t be satisfied. Sack or no sack, the fifth-year senior said the focus is always on where the group can improve, not on where it has been successful.

Everything begins and ends with stopping the run. After that, the focus turns to getting to the quarterback as quickly as possible.

“You take those games and you see how you can get better, how you can beat the offensive line faster, what else could we have done to affect the game,” Cooper said. “How are we playing in the run game? Are we stopping the run well enough? You can always improve your game.”

On a defense with as much talent and experience as Ohio State holds, avoiding complacency is always a battle. The unit has experienced that fight directly in its past two second halves.

There is no stepping back to admire a performance, no matter how great it was.

“It doesn’t just stop, like, ‘Oh we had a good game. Oh, we’re having a good rush,’” Cooper said. “No, there’s always something we can work better at and get better at.”