While there were hints this offseason that Ohio State was experimenting with a five-man defensive front, the Buckeyes refused to confirm they would ever deploy the package in a game.
The Buckeyes didn’t waste any time confirming that once the season began, however, on Thursday night at Indiana.
Ohio State put five defensive linemen on the field on its very first defensive snap of the game – resulting in Nick Bosa and Jalyn Holmes starting the first games of their Buckeye careers – and proceeded to use the package for eight total snaps in Thursday’s game.
The Buckeyes used the five-man front only in the first half, unleashing it for four pairs of consecutive downs in the first and second quarters. The results were disappointing, as the Buckeyes allowed four passing plays of 10-plus yards with the formation on the field.
Even so, Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano says he expects the Buckeyes to continue using the five-man front going forward, believing it has the potential to be an effective weapon.
A variation on the "Rushmen" package that the Buckeyes often use (and already used last season) with their nickel defense in pass-rushing situations, the five-man front utilizes each of Ohio State’s top four defensive ends – 2016 starters Sam Hubbard and Tyquan Lewis, along with Bosa and Holmes – but also adds defensive tackle Dre’Mont Jones as a man in the middle.
During each occasion that Ohio State used the package in Thursday’s game, Hubbard and Holmes each lined up on the outside shoulder of the opposing offensive tackle. Both outside defensive ends stood upright on most plays, though Hubbard put his hand in the dirt on three plays while Holmes went into a three-point stance on one play. Bosa and Lewis lined up in the 3-technique (outside shoulder of the opposing guard) on all eight plays, while Jones lined up in the 0-technique (directly opposite the center).
Ohio State's five-man front (L-R): Sam Hubbard, Nick Bosa, Dre'Mont Jones, Tyquan Lewis, Jalyn Holmes. (ESPN Screenshot)
Ohio State kept those players in those spots within the front on Thursday, but Schiano says the Buckeyes will experiment further with the package as the season progresses.
"When you roll out a package, like anything else, you’re practicing more than just that," Schiano said. "And slowly, when they get good enough, then you roll out another piece of that package, and then another piece. So there will be more to come."
One potential advantage the five-man front offers – especially against a spread offense like Indiana's and that which they will face against Oklahoma this week – is that it takes away the ability for a five-man offensive line to double-team any of the Buckeyes’ defensive linemen.
"It provides a lot of one-on-ones for everybody across the board," Lewis said.
Holmes believes the package provides a different look that makes it tougher for opposing offenses to know what’s coming.
"I feel like it’s a good change-up for the defense, and just to throw opposing quarterbacks off a little bit," Holmes said.
The biggest reason the Buckeyes are experimenting with the five-man front, though, is the combination of players it allows them to get on the field. While Hubbard, Lewis, Bosa and Holmes are arguably the best quartet of defensive ends in college football, Jones is also a highly disruptive player with the potential to be a first-round NFL draft pick.
"You have 11 guys that get to play (on a single defensive snap), and we have five guys (on the defensive line) that we think are tremendous players," Schiano said. "You get another dominant player on the field is the way we look at it."
