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Jaxon Smith-Njigba Ohio State Buckeyes football Rose Bowl

Jaxon Smith-Njigba Ohio State Buckeyes football Rose Bowl

Fulton Analysis: Comeback

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 …

Oklahoma State DC Jim Knowles

Oklahoma State DC Jim Knowles

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 …

Michigan defensive lineman David Ojabo

Michigan defensive lineman David Ojabo

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 …

Ohio State assistant coach Matt Barnes

Ohio State assistant coach Matt Barnes

Fulton Analysis: Barnes’ Scheme

The Ohio State defense turned in its best performance of the season in limiting Michigan State to a single second half touchdown in the Buckeyes’ 56-7 rout over the Spartans. Matt Barnes stuck with his now-familiar game plan in facing Michigan State and Kenneth Walker III—mix cover 3 and cover 3 pressures with cover 1 …

Ohio State football Chris Olave

Ohio State football Chris Olave

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 …

Ohio State football Brutus Buckeye

Ohio State football Brutus Buckeye

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 …

Ohio State football Ryan Day

Ohio State football Ryan Day

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: 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 …

Ohio State Buckeyes football Tyleik Williams

Ohio State Buckeyes football Tyleik Williams

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, …

Fulton Analysis: Not Quite There

The Ohio State offense largely moved the football successfully against Oregon—but left too many points on the field to overcome the Buckeye defense’s inefficiencies and playing from behind in Ohio State’s 35-28 loss. Operating from their odd 2 and 3 man fronts, the Ducks used a game plan that many Buckeye opponents have featured against …

Fulton Analysis: Uneven Performance

Ohio State fought through an uneven performance on both sides of the football before pulling away with a 45-31 win against Minnesota. On offense, Ryan Day and Kevin Wilson used heavy amounts of trips and/or unbalanced formations—likely to cause confusion and/or outleverage the Golden Gophers’ two-high, split safety zone schemes (featuring heavy amounts of quarter …

Steve Sarkisian Alabama

Steve Sarkisian Alabama

Fulton Analysis: Breaking down the Alabama offense

Despite operating the number one SP+ offense (an advanced statistical measure of efficiency—Ohio State is number two), Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian does not utilize a bevy of plays. Instead, he operates a few schemes that build off of, and are centered on, one core concept—the run-pass option. With an RPO, the quarterback reads a …

Fulton Analysis: Targeting the Alabama defense

It is unlikely that there is a defensive scheme that Nick Saban, at some point in his career, has not used. Traditionally known as a 3-4 coach, Saban and his Alabama defensive staff had adapted to the spread era. Against Ohio State’s spread set, Alabama will likely primarily play a 4-2-5, with the nickel (what …

Fulton Analysis: Attacking the Clemson defense

Perhaps no current college football defensive coordinator has had more sustained success than Clemson’s Brent Venables. Although Venables came to the Tigers known as a four down, cover 4, match quarters coach, he has long since moved to mixing a variety of single high and split safety—primarily zone—schemes from both odd and even fronts. For …

Football Uncategorized

Fulton Analysis: Running to win

Ohio State’s passing game inefficiency and questionable strategic decisions against a stellar Northwestern defensive gameplan kept the score closer than necessary in the Buckeyes’ Big Ten championship win. Last week, I outlined Northwestern defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz’s cover 4 defense, how successful Ryan Day and Ohio State had been against that coverage, and mused that …

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