Fulton Analysis: Slowing it down

The Ohio State defense slowed down the triple option enough for the Buckeyes’ 38-7 win over Army. It is advisable not to draw too firm of conclusions from a defense facing a triple option team. Beyond following assignments and tackling well, little is transferable to other opponents. Nevertheless, Ohio State perhaps exceeded expectations in limiting the Black Knights to one touchdown.

Defensive coordinator Greg Schiano – calling plays from the sideline for the first time in his Ohio State tenure– unveiled a special 4-2-5 defense for Army’s flexbone option scheme. Schiano took out the Sam linebacker to align both boundary safeties, Jordan Fuller and Erick Smith, over the slot backs, with field safety Damon Webb in the middle of the field.

As Urban Meyer suggested, the slot backs often take the defense to where the football is going in the flexbone, so Schiano had the boundary safeties mirror those slots in a cover 1 scheme.

The Buckeyes had success limiting the Black Knights’ base veer option and other runs to the wide field, relying on the athleticism of their defensive ends to limit the quarterback keep.