Know Your Opponent: Ohio State's Power Play

As I have discussed in the past, a great deal of Urban Meyer's offensive concepts come from a single-wing offensive ideology where the quarterback also functions as a more than capable runner. The quarterback counter trey and power read highlight the dynamic running ability of Braxton Miller while also making play-action more dangerous. However, even Meyer recognizes that his offense will have diminishing returns if Miller is the only dangerous option in the backfield. Also, the Buckeyes need a play where they can get the football into the hands of their best running backs without exposing Miller to unneeded contact on option plays.

One of those primary plays designed for the Buckeye running backs is the power play. For those of you who read my column on the Hokie offense's efforts to establish the power play in the spring, you are very familiar with the offensive concept. Much like the blocking on the counter play, the interior blockers on the play side use the rule blocking technique of gap-down-linebacker to seal the defensive pursuit on the inside. The tight end seals the contain defender to the outside, and the back side guard pulls to the play side to create a numerical advantage of blockers. The play is a quick-hitting aggressive play that allows linemen to play aggressively without needing to sustain their block for a long period, while the running back knows before the snap where the hole should develop. After handing the ball off, the quarterback can drop back into a normal play-action drop, fake a bootleg, or fake a quick screen.

As with all plays, Ohio State adjusts the blocking slightly depending on the alignment and tendencies of the defensive front. Virginia Tech's base front aligns with a four-man "over" front, meaning that the Hokies align their defense with a three-technique defensive tackle to the called strong side and a nose tackle playing a one-technique on the weak side. While very few teams run the gap scheme with the slanting and movement that the Hokies incorporate, more and more teams use an over front (and the Buckeye's themselves are adopting an over-front philosophy this season). Let's see how the Buckeye's block the power play against an over front.

As you can see, Michigan State has called the strength of the Buckeye formation to the Spartan's (and the reader's) right. Using this image, I will try to align how the Spartan's alignment would be described if the Hokies were in the same alignment. The right defensive tackle is aligned as a three technique over the outside shoulder of the left guard. The left defensive tackle (or "nose" in Hokie lexicon) is aligned on the outside eye of the nose. Most likely, the Hokie nose tackle would line up a little wider, on the inside shoulder of the right guard. Michigan State has their inside linebacker aligned on the inside shoulder of the left guard (for the Hokies, this would be the mike as the strong side is also the wide side of the field and the mike always aligns to the field.) The other inside linebacker is aligned in the 3-gap, on the outside shoulder of the right guard. He would play the backer role, as he is aligned to the boundary. Michigan State also has a third linebacker aligned to the field side. He is playing a loosely similar contain role that the whip would play for the Hokies.

Against this alignment, the Buckeyes will block their left tackle down on the defensive tackle. The left guard will block gap down linebacker. If anyone stunts through his inside gap, he rides the defender inside. If nobody comes, he stays on the same path and picks up the inside linebacker scraping across. The center has to protect the gap vacated by the pulling guard. Here, the nose is aligned close to the center, making the block a little easier. The Hokies Corey Marshall will be lined up wider, meaning that the center has more distance to cover or he will need some help by the right tackle.

The tight end seals the defensive end outside, creating a lane. The right guard pulls and turns up field, looking to trap the mike linebacker filling the hole. The back is going downhill quickly straight at the lane created between the tight end's seal and the left tackle's down block. The whip is unblocked. The hope is that if the play is well blocked, the running back can get into the secondary before the whip can close the hole. Or, if the whip is crashing inside aggressively, the offense can fake the power and throw a quick play-action behind the whip.

Let's see how the Buckeye's execute the block.

As you can see, the left tackle does not get a great deal of movement to the inside, and the outside linebacker crashes hard inside to make an unblocked tackle. Still, the play produces a solid 3.5 yard gain and puts the offense in a favorable position on second down.

The play is rule blocked, and the offensive line is responsible for making a pre-snap read and adjusting assignments based on alignment. If a defense stunts, the blockers follow their rules and adjust accordingly. Michigan State stunted frequently from their 4-3 over front look. Let's see how the Buckeye's adjusted to the stunts.

Here, Ohio State has the strength set to the left and Michigan State aligns with that three technique defensive tackle to the strength of the formation. But, the tackle loop stunts outside, and both inside linebackers criss-cross and stunt right into the hole formed where the back would normally run the football. Let's watch how the play progresses.

The right side of the Buckeye line adjusts, but do they make the correct adjustment? I don't think so. The tackle's rule is to block gap, down, linebacker, meaning that he should take whichever player comes through the inside gap, he should drive him inside. Instead, when the tackle stunts outside, the offensive tackle goes with him and turns him out. The only explanation (besides a botch) is that the tackle made a line call instructing the pulling guard to turn up inside on the linebacker. Otherwise, as an offensive line coach I would regard this as a busted assignment.

The right guard does make the proper adjustment but fails to execute his block. Before the snap, it looks like he should go directly to the inside linebacker aligned over the center, but the left inside linebacker (who is aligned outside of the right tackle) crosses inside and the right inside linebacker crosses outside. The guard steps to his gap, but whiffs on the stunting left backer shooting through his gap because he leans outside watching the right inside backer. This results in both the right guard AND the pulling left guard hitting the right inside linebacker. Fortunately for the Buckeyes, the play is so quick hitting that Carlos Hyde runs right past the unblocked left inside backer before he can get square to the play.

Based on the Michigan State film, the Buckeye offensive line struggled mightily against similar stunts, and only the offensive brilliance of Miller and Hyde bailed them out of numerous blocking busts. Foster has a history of success with blitzing and stunting to create similar confusion against rule blocking (as seen here against UCLA.)

The Buckeyes who underperformed against the Spartan's stunting front have graduated and are being replaced by inexperienced underclassmen. I am sure Foster will look to test them early and often with his quick defensive front.