Back in 1994, Ohio State’s Matt Finkes and Mike Vrabel Were the Nightmare No Quarterback Ever Wanted to Face

If you were a Big Ten quarterback in 1994, you probably didn’t sleep well before facing Ohio State. And you can thank two relentless, snarling defensive ends for that: Matt Finkes and Mike Vrabel.

Before Vrabel became a Super Bowl champion and an NFL head coach, and before Finkes became a college football analyst and ambassador for the Buckeyes, the two were a ferocious tandem off the edge—mirror images of each other in intensity, explosiveness, and disruption. In 1994, the pair earned All-Big Ten honors for wreaking havoc week in and week out. They were more than just teammates. They were a two-man demolition crew.

Their legacy isn’t just in the numbers—though the stats tell a powerful story—it’s in the memories of offensive coordinators, tackles, and signal-callers who knew one thing for certain: blocking both was virtually impossible.

Origins of a Pass-Rushing Duo
Both Vrabel and Finkes were Ohio kids. Vrabel came from Akron, Finkes from Piqua. That Midwestern grit would define their play. They didn’t flash with ego; they came to work, punched the clock, and left offensive game plans in ruins.

The 1994 Ohio State defense, coordinated by Bill Young, featured talent at every level. But Finkes and Vrabel were the engine. Lined up on opposite sides of the line, they were a chess match nightmare. Slide protection left, Finkes killed you right. Double team one, and the other lit up your quarterback like a Friday night stadium light.

They had different builds—Vrabel was a bit longer, more angular at 6-foot-4, 245 pounds, while Finkes was slightly more compact at 6-foot-3, 260—but they played in sync like twin hammers. Finkes’ bull rush and inside counter was textbook. Vrabel’s dip-and-rip move was practically a clinic.

Their chemistry? Natural.

“We were always pushing each other,” Finkes once recalled. “If Mike got a sack, I had to get one. If I beat my guy early, he’d say, ‘Alright, now it’s my turn.’ We fed off it.”

The 1994 Season: Setting the Tone for Dominance
The 1994 Buckeyes finished 9-4, losing only to ranked opponents and falling short of the Big Ten title. But don’t let the record fool you. That defense was feared—and it was largely due to the relentless heat brought off the edge.

Vrabel posted 13 tackles for loss and 6 sacks that year. Finkes added 12 tackles for loss and 8 sacks. But again, the impact went beyond numbers. They forced fumbles, hurried throws, and collapsed pockets. Ohio State finished the year top-25 in scoring defense, and quarterbacks often finished games looking like they’d been through a car wreck.

Perhaps the greatest compliment came from legendary Penn State coach Joe Paterno after a tight game in Happy Valley.

“They’ve got two ends that play like they’ve got rockets in their shoes,” Paterno said. “I don’t think we blocked them once clean.”

That kind of praise didn’t come easy from Paterno.

Iron Sharpens Iron
What made Finkes and Vrabel even more dangerous was what they did Monday through Friday. Practices at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center were warzones, especially during full-contact drills.

“We went against Orlando Pace and Korey Stringer every day,” Vrabel said in an interview years later. “Those were first-round tackles, Hall of Fame-type guys. We had no choice but to get better. And when game day came, no one felt harder than what we saw in practice.”

That iron-sharpens-iron culture defined the John Cooper era. Though the Buckeyes didn’t win a national championship during his tenure, the pipeline of defensive talent was unmatched. And Finkes and Vrabel were proof.

Style and Substance: A Relentless Identity
Neither Vrabel nor Finkes were finesse players. They didn’t rely on trickery. They were technicians with an edge.

Vrabel’s hand placement, timing, and first-step quickness made him a terror even when chipped. Finkes had elite leverage and upper-body power. Together, they played with the kind of meanness that coaches covet and quarterbacks fear.

One Big Ten offensive lineman from 1994, speaking anonymously in a 2010 interview, summed it up perfectly:

“You couldn’t breathe. You’d line up thinking you had help, and they’d still beat it. They didn’t stop. Fourth quarter? They were still coming.”

And when they got to the quarterback, they didn’t just sack him—they made him feel it.

Mike Vrabel: A Career That Kept Climbing
After his Ohio State career, Vrabel was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft. But it was with the New England Patriots that he carved his legacy.

As a Patriot, Vrabel won three Super Bowls, became a captain, and even caught touchdown passes on offense—thanks to his unmatched football IQ and toughness. He was the embodiment of the “do your job” ethos that defined the Patriots dynasty.

Later, Vrabel transitioned into coaching, bringing the same passion and intelligence to the sideline. He quickly rose from position coach at Ohio State to defensive coordinator at Houston, and then head coach of the Tennessee Titans—leading them to the AFC Championship Game in 2019.

Through it all, you could still see flashes of the player who used to chase down quarterbacks in Columbus.

Matt Finkes: From Pass Rusher to Analyst
Finkes didn’t have the same NFL longevity as Vrabel, but he still enjoyed a strong college-to-pro transition, being drafted by the Carolina Panthers in 1997. After a few years bouncing around NFL rosters, he shifted into broadcasting and business.

Finkes became a fixture in central Ohio media, lending his insight and fire to Buckeye pregame shows and radio segments. He remained connected to the program and never lost the edge that made him an All-Big Ten terror.

He’s also been a prominent figure in Buckeye Nation off the field—whether working in fundraising, real estate, or community engagement. His love for the game never wavered, and his respect for what he and Vrabel built remains a point of pride.

“We weren’t just playing football,” Finkes said in a 2022 interview. “We were building something. We were making it hard to wear another helmet and feel safe.”

Legacy in Scarlet and Gray
Ask any longtime Buckeye fan about the most underrated duos in Ohio State football history, and Finkes-Vrabel comes up every time. Before the Joey Bosas, Chase Youngs, and Nick Bosas came through Columbus, there was Finkes and Vrabel—laying the groundwork for what elite defensive end play looked like in the Horseshoe.

Their intensity. Their technique. Their production. Their unity.

They helped turn Ohio State’s defensive line into a brand. Today, top recruits come to Columbus not just for the facilities or the championships—but because they want to be the next Vrabel, the next Finkes. Their fingerprints are still all over the program.

Final Word: Good Luck Blocking Them
There’s a reason this story sticks in Buckeye lore. You don’t forget pass rushers like Finkes and Vrabel. They left too many cleat marks in backfields, too many quarterbacks wondering which direction the hit came from.

They didn’t just play football in 1994. They hunted.

And whether you were a Michigan man, a Boilermaker, or a Hawkeye, you knew one thing when you saw those scarlet jerseys: it was going to be a long afternoon.

So go ahead—line up your protection. Call your audibles. Adjust your blocking scheme.

Just know: it won’t matter.

Because in 1994, nobody blocked Matt Finkes and Mike Vrabel. They were built to break plays—and dreams.