Greg Schiano's career in coaching football has led him to four universities and two NFL franchises. As good a defensive mind that you'll find in the game, Schiano is often tasked with devising a plan to stop the opposing team's star quarterback.
His safeties teamed up with Kerry Coombs' cornerbacks to snag seven interceptions in the first two games on Ohio State's 2016 schedule, a brilliant start for the unit headed by Luke Fickell. But Saturday at Oklahoma poses a much bigger challenge than either Bowling Green's James Knapke or Tulsa's Dane Evans. Sooner quarterback Baker Mayfield finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting a year ago and reminds Schiano of one of the greatest NFL quarterbacks of all-time.
“I liken him to when I was with the Bears going against Brett Favre. He's that unpredictable,” Schiano said on Monday. “He'll be scrambling this way and chuck it that way.”
The NFL's iron man, Favre played 20 years in the league, including 16 with the Green Bay Packers. Schiano coached Chicago's secondary and defense from 1996-98, right when Favre began to hit the prime of his career and led the Packers to a victory in Super Bowl XXXI in February of 1997. Favre played with reckless abandon and a nose for improvisation, unafraid to take chances down or sometimes even across the field because he believed his cannon for a right arm would bail him out.
“On the back end, we can handle him just throwing the ball but him scrambling outside the pocket could be tough.”– Marshon Lattimore on Baker Mayfield
Schiano sees a similar style in Mayfield. The former walk-on turned megastar threw for 3,700 yards and 36 touchdowns against only seven interceptions in 2015. He also ran for seven touchdowns and more than 400 yards, mainly on scrambles.
Mayfield's biggest tool, though, is what he does when he gets out of the pocket when the play isn't there and makes something out of nothing.
“I think what makes him most dangerous is when he creates, the play breaks down and he begins to create things. He scrambles but he scrambles to throw the ball down the field,” Schiano said. “He does a very good job of keeping his eyes down the field and I think what's occurred there over time is their receivers know he's great at doing that. They really work hard at finishing plays.”
Urban Meyer said Tuesday on the Big Ten teleconference he hasn't watched Mayfield in depth yet on tape — he reserves that for Wednesdays — but already heard the same sentiment from Schiano and the other members of his defensive staff. Mayfield is dangerous because he is a creator.
“The thing that's interesting is they said 'I don't know his strength' but to a man, everyone said he's at his best when he creates plays,” Meyer said. “He's so strong. He's just a very strong player that you can't get down. Not real tall but his leg strength and his overall strength, he gets out of tackles. It's hard to bring him down.
“You get a chance to get him down you've gotta be a great tackler. It's no different than facing a great running back and getting him down.”
The Sooners run out two excellent running backs alongside Mayfield in sophomore Joe Mixon and junior Samaje Perine. The have five catches apiece already this season, giving Mayfield two more weapons to work with in the passing game. Schiano calls them "two of the top-5 running backs in America."
But Oklahoma's offense starts, stops and succeeds because of Mayfield's uncanny ability to hurt defenses when things go awry after the ball is snapped.
“He just extends plays,” Ohio State middle linebacker Raekwon McMillan said. “When you think you’ve got him on the ground and when you’ve held coverage for five, six seconds and then he breaks out and creates another four, five seconds for his offense. It’s hard to play defense on one play for 10 to 12 seconds so he creates more time on plays and more time for the receivers to get open.”
Tom Herman's Houston Cougars kept Mayfield under wraps enough to beat Oklahoma 33-23 in Week 1. He still threw for 323 yards and two touchdowns but finished with just 9.8 yards per attempt. Mayfield also ran 13 times for -1 yard against Houston but fumbled once. The Cougars sacked him five times and kept him from breaking contain to leave NRG Stadium with a victory.
“Don't let him scramble out of the pocket and get down there with his legs,” Marshon Lattimore said. “On the back end, we can handle him just throwing the ball but him scrambling outside the pocket could be tough.”
That is what helped Favre become a Hall Of Fame quarterback. Mayfield is by no means on his level yet but Schiano is fully aware what kind of issues Ohio State's defense will face if it fails to contain him.
"We're going to really have to maintain discipline in our pass rush lanes and we're going to have to have discipline when he begins to scramble," Schiano said. "Plastering on our receivers. Eye discipline is going to be critical this week in the secondary and linebackers. He's a fine player."
