Ohio State overcame opt-outs, injuries, and a 14-point deficit behind CJ Stroud and Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s record setting performances in the Buckeyes’ 48-45 Rose Bowl victory. Defensively, Utah used an increasingly familiar formula against the Ohio State offense. Targeting the Buckeyes’ heavy tendencies to run when in the pistol or under center and throw when in …
Author Archives: Ross Fulton
Fulton Analysis: Knowles’ Defense
After two years of Ohio State often being held back by an overly simplistic defensive scheme that was repeatedly exploited—a situation that Ryan Day and Matt Barnes could only partly address in-season following the Buckeyes’ week two loss to Oregon—Day made perhaps the most important hire of his young tenure by bringing in Jim Knowles …
Fulton Analysis: Uninspiring
Ohio State’s passing game could not overcome an insipid offensive game plan—and a defense that was manhandled up front by Michigan and had no ability to address being stretched to the field and boundary—in the Buckeyes’ 42-27 loss to the Wolverines. As is his wont, Michigan defensive coordinator Mike MacDonald mixed in numerous cover 3 …
Fulton Analysis: Overwhelming
Ohio State turned in a complete performance in overwhelming Michigan State 56-7. Ryan Day and the Buckeye offense adeptly targeted the Spartans’ defensive scheme that mixes HOT pressures (3 deep, 2 under) and some cover 4 (particularly in the red zone) with base cover 3 weak (cover 6 in Nick Saban-speak), Ohio State was able …
Fulton Analysis: Guarding Grass
The Ohio State defense had an uneven showing protecting a lead against Purdue’s pass-first quick game in the Buckeyes’ 59-31 win. Ohio State opened the first series in cover 4 Meg (the corners in man on the outside). The Buckeyes were able to force an opening three and out, and were generally successful defending the …
Fulton Analysis: Protecting
Ohio State rebounded offensively by better protecting the run game, excelling in pass protection, and winning against man coverage in the Buckeyes’ 59-31 win over Purdue. The Boilermakers attempted to use a super charged version of the Penn State and Nebraska defensive strategies against Ohio State. Purdue often sought to overload the overhang areas outside …
Fulton Analysis: Explosive-less
Ohio State turned in another uneven performance in its 26-17 win over Nebraska. Against the Buckeye offense, the Cornhuskers took a page from Penn State’s playbook and varied looks based upon Ohio State’s tendencies. The Cornhuskers frequently mixed cover 3 pressures, cover 1, and aggressive cover 4 when Ohio State’s tight end was attached as …
Fulton Analysis: Zone Pressurin’
The Ohio State defense created enough big plays and rendered Penn State one dimensional—overcoming both the Nittany Lions’ high third-down conversion rate and the Buckeye offenses red zone failures—to lead Ohio State to victory. ALSO: Check out the breakdown of the Ohio State offense vs. Penn State In the first half, Matt Barnes seemingly revealed …
Fulton Analysis: Miscues and Missed Assignments
Ohio State’s offense was plagued by miscues, numbers, and missed blocking assignments in its 33-24 win over Penn State. Penn State defensive coordinator Brent Pry mixed a variety of looks against the Buckeyes—frequently stemming to an odd front on passing downs and featuring an over “load” front to the tight end side (lining with both …
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Fulton Analysis: On Track
Ohio State continued its run of combining a balanced offense targeting the weak spot in the opponent’s defensive scheme with its revitalized, cover-4 focused defense, in its 54-7 win over Indiana. The Hoosiers opened frequently playing variations of a tite front —which generally places three down linemen inside the offensive tackles to each side (a …
Fulton Analysis: Ohio State and Cover 4
Perhaps nothing epitomizes the transformation of the Ohio State defensive scheme following the Buckeyes’ Oregon loss than Cover 4 becoming a staple of the Ohio State defensive scheme. Many observers are now familiar with how, under Ryan Day, the Buckeyes have traditionally pre-rotated their safeties before the snap—with one in the deep middle of the …
Fulton Analysis: Multiplicity
Ohio State turned in another stellar performance in its 66-17 victory over Maryland. Offensively, the Buckeye run game was slowed early by the Terrapins’ strategy to combine a condensed, odd front with a nose guard head up on the center with a soft cover 2 or quarters coverage to protect against big pass plays. In …
Fulton Analysis: Complementary Football
Ohio State turned in its most complete, complementary game this season in its 52-13 win over Rutgers. Offensively, Ryan Day and Kevin Wilson had a well-honed plan to target Rutgers’ 4-3 stack that features a nose guard titled at the center, heavy amounts of slanting, and safeties that aggressively trigger to insert themselves in the …
Fulton Analysis: Defensive Scheme Change
Ohio State broke tendencies on both sides of the football in its 59-7 win over an over-matched Akron. Offensively, the Buckeyes overcame freshman quarterback Kyle McCord’s early game jitters by targeting the edge toward the halfback’s side in shotgun. Often, opposing defenses will slant and/or overplay away from Ohio State’s offset halfback, expecting zone runs …
Fulton Analysis: Tulsa Troubles
Ohio State turned in another uneven performance in its 41-20 win over Tulsa. The Buckeyes’ offense on Saturday featured a downhill, 12 personnel rushing attack that relied upon greater run game diversity against the Golden Hurricanes’ 3-3-5 that mixed cover 1 on early downs with cover 4 on passing downs. Specifically, in predicted run situations, …