Yeah, we get it. There weren't enough sacks.
Nearly two weeks have passed since Ohio State's season took a detour, thanks to a close loss in Oregon. And though the Buckeyes will surely get back on track this Saturday as the host Nebraska in front of a large, national audience, concerns about their defense remain.
Throughout the bye week, much of the focus from fans, media, and even Ryan Day has been on the Ducks' 496 yards of total offense in that previous contest, and what defensive coordinator Jim Knowles must address moving forward. Somewhere along the line, however, that focus narrowed in on just one aspect of the defense: the OSU pass rush, or seeming lack thereof.
Here at Film Study, we believe that the problems go much deeper than that, as the biggest issue with Jim Knowles' game plan against the Ducks was the lack of disguise, allowing Oregon OC Will Stein to dictate the action all game long. Luckily for the Buckeyes, Knowles already has some potential answers to this problem in his playbook, so the question becomes if and when he unveils them moving forward.
Here's what we go over in this week's video breakdown:
- How Oregon manipulated both man and zone coverage structures to run the ball effectively
- Mixing in 'spill & kill' run fits
- Disguising coverage with a 3-safety look pre-snap
- Dusting off well-designed pass rush stunts from last season
As always, click the header photo above to watch the video here on the site, or head straight to YouTube.
