OSU's Jenkins still wants to get better

COLUMBUS - Earlier this season, Ohio State cornerback Malcolm Jenkins lamented the fact he thought he hadn't had a breakout game yet during his senior season.

Like everyone else, Jenkins had extremely high expectations for his senior year after he turned down a chance to enter the NFL draft in April, even though many people projected him as a first-round draft choice.

Through the first few games this fall, he was playing well, but not well enough in his own eyes.

Since then, he has not only defended receivers from Wisconsin, Purdue and Michigan State, but he also has come up with big plays that led to Ohio State touchdowns in the last two games.

His pass interception on Wisconsin's last play three weeks ago sealed a 20-17 win for the Buckeyes.

Two weeks ago against Purdue, his punt block led to the only touchdown OSU got in a 16-3 win. Freshman linebacker Etienne Sabino picked up the ball and returned it for the score.

Then last week in a 45-7 win over Michigan State, he sacked Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins, forced a fumble and watched teammate Thaddeus Gibson take the ball 69 yards for a touchdown.

"I hadn't had that game when people looked at it and said, ‘Wow,' " Jenkins said, when asked to revisit the talk of having a breakout game. "I don't know if I've had it yet."

Linebacker James Laurinaitis says that kind of talk is just Jenkins' innate competitiveness coming to the surface. Teammates say he is exceptional in that area, even in a locker room full of highly competitive athletes.

"He doesn't want to be remembered as one of the best. He wants to be remembered as the best," Laurinaitis said.

Jenkins said, "My coach talked to me about how playing good is not enough for this team, I need to play great."

Jenkins is tied for the team lead in interceptions with Kurt Coleman with three.  He had four interceptions last season and four as a sophomore.  Ohio State's defense has 21 takeaways in eight games after having only 22 in 13 games last season.

Jenkins has also made some recent appearances on special teams, not the place returning All-Americans are usually found.

"You need your best players on the field all the time. Whenever I have the energy, I'll do it. Whenever you have your best players on the field, you have your best chance of being successful," he said.