For the film study this week, the focus will be on the ways in which Chip Kelly has given OSU a half-second advantage by putting the weakside/backside of the defense in peril. In recent years, OSU has struggled mightily in this particular area. Without a dual-threat QB and a rather stale RPO game (bubble screens), opposing defenses were able to crash from the backside of the play. This lead to runners getting stopped in the backfield on IZ and allowed the defense to swarm to the ball on OZ. This film study will show how Chip Kelly is not only mitigating the weakside, but instead, using it to OSU's advantage. The recurring theme from the 1st 2 games is simple. Chip Kelly is simply dialing up plays that are fool-proof, as long as you have a hell of a smart QB running the show. All OSU is doing is taking what the defense gives them, by putting the work on Howard's eyes and brain (RPO's) to pick them apart. Here we go. 

While I was wrong last week in my skepticism of OZ (more on that later), I was dead on when I predicted that the quick out/flat RPO's would turn into Triple Options as OSU continued to open up their playbook. Play 1 this week? Triple Option RPO. You will see a theme very early on. 

Just a few plays later, OSU runs it's 2nd RPO of the game. Line is playing Pin and Pull with a backside slant. Howard is reading the backside LB (#8). He crashes on the run, opening up an easy slant to Egbuka.

The following drive showed no different. After missing a play and taking a sack on the first play of the drive (also a hold), OSU dials up another RPO. This time with OZ TO THE BOUNDARY. This play is exactly why Ryan Day loves OZ boundary runs. WMU is in Cover-3, meaning the weakside backer is going to play the "hook". Because he commits to the run, JJ Smith sits down where the "hook" defender should be. This is a 15 yard gain for 99.9% of WR's. But well, JJ is in the 0.1%. Also, if this was a more known QB, social media would be losing its mind. If you slow down the footage, Howard throws a no-look pass to JJ here to keep the CB snugged to Tate. 

I know this is getting nauseating, but I need to reiterate how important it was in this game for OSU to continue attacking the weakside of WMU's coverage. On this play, you could honestly call this a "Quadruple Option". 1st read is to handoff, 2nd is to keep it, 3rd is to Thurman, 4th is to EE. The outside CB sneaks into Thurman, opening up the speed out to EE. As you can see in these first handful of plays, Will Howard has some serious brain power. There are weaknesses in his game (I will touch on those a bit), but reading coverages and making the right decisions quickly in the RPO game has been top notch. 

Up until Judkins 23 yard TD run with 1:01 left in the 1st quarter, OSU had accounted for 10 rushing yards. I repeat 10. Meanwhile, Howard had already thrown for 187. This wasn't Chip Kelly coming out firing. This was simply taking what the defense was giving them. WMU continued to crash on the RPO's, opening up the passing game for Howard. However, as the game wore on, WMU began adjusting, and the running game took advantage. 

This is straight OZ to the boundary with no RPO attached. Look at how slow the weakside LB and deep safety are to react. The line blocks this play beautifully, but the OLB and Safety having their feet stuck in the mud is what turns this play from a 7-8 yard gain, into a touchdown. 

Now Chip Kelly is just being stupid and brought out his book from his Oregon days. This is 2 plays in 1. The left-side of the line is pass blocking. The right side is running OZ. If the weakside backer plays the pass, hand it off. 

And again...

There were 2 truths during this game. 

1. The offensive line was a hell of a lot better. Hat on hat and mauling people
2. Chip Kelly's ability to keep the LB's guessing helped the O-line get an advantage

In every game there are things you learn and questions still to be answered. Following this game, I have 2 main questions:

1. Can OSU continue to rely on the RPO game once they play better defenses who can disguise their looks. WMU was in Cover-3 basically all game, and didn't really do anything to hide it
2. Can Howard make quick reads in the non-RPO passing game. He was a little late on a few reads during this game. 

Here WMU looks like they run Cover-6, which is essentially Cover 2 to one side, and cover-3 to the other. Hard to tell without the All-22, but Howard gets confused looking to his left. By the time he gets back to EE coming across the middle, the pass isn't there. It is hard to see on this angle, but against Cover-6, EE was open. 

On this one, again Howard holds the left a little too long. JJ was still open, but by holding it too long, Howard's footwork got disjointed and led to an underthrow. 

Another one late over the middle. The announcers blamed the duck of a throw, but even a duck would've been a completion if it was thrown a second earlier. Peyton Manning threw ducks all over the place, but he was so on-time and accurate, that it didn't matter. 

These above 3 videos aren't meant to negate Howard in anyway. It is to show that as great as he has been, he can still be even better. His IQ and eyes are top-notch and OSU is going to be hard to stop with that alone. But once this season gets to December and January, you can't miss those throws to JJ and Thurman. Give him a few more weeks, and I think you'll see him much better with these throws.