This is the sixth and final piece in our position-by-position look at the best tandems in the Big Ten this season. Today it's best secondary duo.
The best: Ohio State
The duo: CB Bradley Roby and FS C.J. Barnett
The reasoning: Roby, a junior from the Atlanta area, will serve a one-game suspension for his role in a July altercation outside a Bloomington, Ind., bar, but he might be the nation's No. 1 cornerback. He has elite speed and has five picks and 23 pass breakups in two seasons. At times, he becomes too reliant on his speed and takes unnecessary chances, and he hasn't played too much press coverage because of Ohio State's scheme. Still, his elite speed and ball skills are huge selling points. Roby originally committed to Vanderbilt (as a wide receiver) before signing with the Buckeyes.
Barnett is headed into his third season as a starter. A high school corner in Dayton, Ohio, he can play both safety spots and is a big-time hitter. He is extremely adept in run support. He can cover a lot of ground, but he has struggled at times in coverage. He led the Buckeyes with 75 tackles in 2011 and was fourth with 56 last season, when he also made two picks and six pass breakups.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
