But the face beneath it?
Since just before halftime in the season opener at Virginia Tech last Monday night, his face had often been an uncharacteristic mix of concern, grimness, even darkness.
“He was a little upset because they got that one long pass on him at Virginia Tech,” linebacker Darron Lee said. “It was written all over his face in practice (the last few days.) He wasn’t happy.”
Although the No. 1-ranked Buckeyes had had a glorious night in Blacksburg, overcoming a 17-14 halftime deficit to rout Virginia Tech, 42-24, Bell had become obsessed with a play that unfolded just before halftime.
He bit on a fake by Hokie receiver Isiah Ford, who then beat him for a 36-yard reception. Although Bell recovered enough to tackle Ford on the OSU 2-yard line, Virginia Tech scored three plays later and had the lead at the half.
“I wasn’t pleased by that. That double move really shook me up and left a bad taste in my mouth,” Bell said Saturday. “On the plane ride back, I could barely sleep. I knew I gave up that play and it ate at me. I knew I had to make up for it. I had to be a pro today.”
And he was Saturday in the home opener against Hawaii.
The junior from Rossville, Ga., intercepted a pass just before halftime and in the fourth quarter he picked up a Hawaii fumble that had come bouncing out of a scrum of wrestling players on the ground and ran the ball back 14 yards for a score.
That play was the exclamation point on a solid defensive effort by the Buckeyes in what ended up a 38-0 victory in front of an Ohio Stadium crowd of 107,145.
While the offense looked sluggish most of the day and there were no heroics from quarterback Cardale Jones, no Braxton Miller highlight-reel runs, no relief magic from J.T. Barrett, the defense took control.
“We’re the best defense in the country and we had to go out there and show it,” Bell said. “That was our goal — to hold them to a goose egg. They had a good quarterback who can throw it, but our goal was to not let them score and we didn’t.
“It was a heck of a day for us. Just a heck of deal.”
The Buckeyes intercepted quarterback Max Wittek twice, sacked him three times and forced the fumble that Bell ran in.
“Any time it takes our offense a minute to get going, it’s on us,” said Lee. “Today we knew it was up to us. It was our game and, to be honest with you, we wanted to be out there the whole time. We didn’t want to sit on the bench. We felt it today.”
While Lee and defensive end Joey Bosa get most of the hype on the defense, coordinator Luke Fickell said Bell is a dynamic leader.
“He has a confidence and that little swagger that everybody talks about,” Fickell said. “Everybody thinks, ‘We have swagger. We have this. We have that.’ But in reality not everybody really truly has it inside.
“It’s not because of his hair. It’s not because of what he says. It’s just who Vonn is. I tell him all the time, ‘You bring a lot for us and not just with your play. It’s your attitude. The way you go about things.’
“He is a leader. He might not be a captain now, but he’s every bit the leader as anybody is. It’s the way he works and practices. He’s a great practice player.”
And that’s why, in the few days OSU had to prep for Hawaii after getting back from Virginia Tech at close to 4:30 a.m. Tuesday, Bell was obsessed with making up for what he thought was a let down on his part against the Hokies.
“You could see it in his face all week,” Lee said. “And when you see that with him, you know something good is going to happen in the game.”
Last season Bell and Maryland’s William Likely led the Big Ten with six interceptions each.
As part of a defending national championship team that everyone sees as better this year than last, Bell figured he’d have an even brighter season.
That, in part, led to the gold dome.
“I just wanted a new look, a new do,” he grinned. “I wanted to see how it would work this year.”
Saturday he found out.
Although he made a difficult interception late in the first half, he had a chance at two more picks, but neither time could hang onto the ball.
“I’ve got to make those plays and I will,” he said. “That was my bad, but I’ll get that fixed.”
The best tonic for him came when he picked up that fumbled handoff.
“The guys were all scratching and clawing for the ball and then I saw it on the ground,” he said. “It was like Christmas. I said, ‘Oh my goodness! Time to go.’ I always wanted to be part of a Zone 6 (end zone six points).
“When you score, they always tell you go hug a big guy. Well, the whole defensive line came at me. Next thing I knew they all had me. It was great, just a great feeling.”
And that feeling stayed with him. As he left the postgame session to join his family outside, the swagger was back and so was a big grin.
His face now matched his golden do.
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