How Ohio State co-defensive coordinators Greg Mattison and Jeff Hafley's double overhang, single high safety defensive scheme enabled them to insert another linebacker at one of the overhang spots to limit the Wisconsin run game -- without changing any of the responsibilities for the Buckeye defenders.
Ohio State overcame wet, soggy conditions to stifle Wisconsin 38-7. In controlling the action throughout, the Buckeye defense demonstrated the versatility built into co-defensive coordinators Greg Mattison and Jeff Hafley’s single-high, double overhang (a defender aligned outside the tackle box on both sides of the formation) scheme.
On run downs against the Badgers’ run-heavy personnel featuring a fullback and/or 1-2 tight ends (21, 12, or 22 personnel), Ohio State removed nickel corner Shaun Wade for a fourth linebacker, Justin Hilliard. Yet even though this was a ‘4-4’ front, the defensive scheme looks and functions in the exact same way – just with a linebacker in place of the nickel corner.
In other words, the defensive structure is the same, with a single middle of the field safety and two overhangs. Hilliard fills the same responsibilities as Wade, generally aligning away from the offense’s run strength between the end man on the line of scrimmage and outside receiver. Like Wade, Hilliard is responsible for the underneath curl/flat zone in cover 3 (or the number two receiver to that side in man).
But with the offense having multiple tight ends instead of a slot wide receiver, Hilliard often set up in the “apex” (as opposed to Wade covering up the slot), flanking the offense between the end man on the line of scrimmage and wide receiver.
