Fulton Analysis: Working Weaknesses

The Ohio State offense used the 73-14 win over Maryland to feature its base zone stretch run concept before working on its downfield passing game and putting plays on film to help constrain future opponents.

The Buckeye run game against the Terrapins underscored the primary difference between the Ohio State offense this season compared to prior ones. Maryland aligned throughout in a odd front, generally playing a soft cover 3 or cover 4 matchup zone behind.

In previous seasons odd fronts have given the Buckeye run game problems because Ohio State relied so heavily on tight zone read and the odd front limits interior double teams. But this year Ryan Day and his staff have adopted wide or outside zone stretch as base run play. Stretch presses the edge behind the offensive line laterally zone blocking, with the running back reading whether to bounce outside, cut upfield, or bend back to the A-gap. Ohio State’s reliance on wide zone stretch has largely rendered defensive odd fronts (as well as opponents’ overall focus limiting inside gaps) irrelevant, forcing the three interior down linemen to move laterally (hence the term ‘stretch’) while targeting the odd front’s natural C-gap bubble.

Ohio State relied almost exclusively on outside stretch zone throughout the game against Maryland, mixing base wide zone (tight end blocks outside zone to the play side) with split zone (meaning that the Y-off tight end blocks back across the formation against the backside defensive end).

The Buckeyes also repeatedly ran the concept from 12 (two tight-end) personnel, balancing out Maryland’s odd formations and allowing Ohio State to check the play away from the Terrapins’ force support.

Because Maryland had little chance to limit the Ohio State run game, Day could then take advantage of the contest to work on the Buckeye passing game – particularly pushing the football downfield – with concepts that create different “stretches” on the opponent’s pass coverage. Against the Terrapins’ three deep zone, Day repeatedly dialed up a four-verticals from trips with a ‘bender’ route, which creates a “horizontal” stretch on the middle of the field safety (meaning that the defense has one defender responsible for two parallel routes in the same plane). A bender route means that the inside trips receiver runs his vertical route across the field to the opposite seam, with the number two receiver working up the other seam. The outside receivers then have the option to run comeback routes against soft coverage.

Using the concept twice on the same drive, Justin Fields first hit Y Jeremy Ruckert on the divide route.

Then, once the deep middle of the field safety overcommitted to the divide, Fields came back to H K.J. Hill up the opposite seam.

And when those four-vertical routes were not available because of Maryland switching to a soft cover 4 zone, Fields would check it down to the running back on a middle square-in

But the Buckeyes also worked their other downfield concepts. For instance, below, Fields hits Garrett Wilson on a sail flood route, which creates a three-level vertical stretch outside the hash (vertical stretch means that the stretch is now happening at different levels of the pass coverage).

In addition, Day relied upon several of his bread-and-butter passing concepts. He used snag, which creates a “triangle” stretch; meaning it combines both a vertical stretch between the corner and flat route, and a horizontal stretch between the mini-curl and flat combination.

And he dialed up mesh crossing routes, which is a concept designed to combat man-to-man coverage, for Ohio State’s first touchdown.

As Day noted in his post-game press conference, Ohio State had 25 pass attempts in the first half. Although this was relatively high for the Buckeyes this season, Day said he wanted to “challenge” the passing game – including the pass protection, route running, and decision-making. The Buckeyes completed 16 of those attempts for 200 yards and three touchdowns; a completion percentage that could have been higher if Fields did not overthrow several open opposite field comeback routes.

Finally, the Buckeye offense used the opportunity to constrain future defenses, particularly in the red zone. For instance, Day’s staff introduced a new look, sending Hill in orbit motion and then flaring back outside for a swing route against man coverage.

Then, on a later red zone opportunity Fields faked the same route to Hill before hitting Chris Olave on a mesh crossing route.

The goal with such concepts is likely to prevent future opponents from clogging the middle against the Buckeye run game. Even Ohio State’s onside kick also served a similar purpose, limiting future opponents from overcommitting their kick return blockers to the left hash to counterbalance the Buckeyes’ kick coverage.

The Ohio State defense also kept things simple; with one exception. The Buckeye defense again primarily played cover 1 man on early downs, mixed with some matchup cover 3.

The use of cover 1 allowed the Buckeyes to match Maryland’s trips formations to the field by using cover over. The Terrapins attempted to this to their advantage, pulling the Ohio State defense to the field to then target the boundary.

But while such a strategy was immensely successful for Maryland last season, it had relatively little success this year – because Ohio State’s defense is structured to adjust to such formations by moving defensive backs to the field while keeping Pete Werner as the boundary overhang defender. Although this removes defensive back run support, Werner is so effective at setting the edge that it limits any disadvantage.

In fact, the Buckeyes received stellar efforts from all three linebackers. For example, below Maryland aligns in 12 personnel for short-yardage. Against such formations when Ohio State is in its base personnel (meaning nickel corner Shaun Wade is on the field), Tuf Borland actually aligns as the Sam linebacker with Werner as the boundary Will. Borland follows the tight end inside, making the stop in the hole.

Ohio State did, however, show a bigger variety of looks on third down in response to the absence of Chase Young. For example, below, defensive coordinator Greg Mattison dialed up an inside-linebacker ‘X’ blitz for the sack.

The Buckeyes also received a stellar performance from their other top defensive linemen – nose guard Davon Hamilton. Hamilton repeatedly created pressure when Ohio State only brought four, for instance below when the Buckeyes were in base cover 3.

The Buckeyes now head from one blowout to another. In going on the road to face Rutgers, Ohio State will have one more opportunity to work on relative weaknesses and commit things to film before heading into the stretch run.