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LGHL Most Telling Stat: Ohio State’s red zone defense was pivotal in national title run
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Most Telling Stat: Ohio State’s red zone defense was pivotal in national title run
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Getting stops in the red zone was critical in Ohio State’s 2024 national championship season.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the numbers that will be most important for the Buckeyes this college football season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all our “Most Telling Stat” articles here.
Of all the statistical areas in which the 2024 Ohio State Buckeyes excelled last season, perhaps the most critical was opponents’ red zone conversion rate.
The Silver Bullets held opponents to scoring points on just 60.53% of their trips into the red zone, per CFBStats.com. That was second best nationally to Army’s 60%, and Ohio State’s stops were against much better offensive competition — especially in the postseason.
The Buckeyes allowed opponents to get into the red zone 38 times in 2024, which was tied for 24th nationally — not terrible, but not elite. However, once OSU’s opposition got into scoring position, the Buckeyes stepped up and got the job done. The Buckeyes allowed 23 total scores in those 38 situations, which is tied with Mississippi for the fewest, with Ole Miss having faced 32 such situations, giving Ohio State the better percentage of stops.
Additionally, Ohio State permitted just 16 touchdowns out of those 23 scores, forcing seven field goals and getting 15 stops. So, opponents got into the end zone in less than half of their trips into the red zone against the Buckeyes.
Those 16 touchdowns surrendered against the opposition in the red zone were the fewest among FBS teams, tied with Ole Miss and Northern Illinois.
Where the Buckeyes excelled was in getting stops at the goal line, which is one of the most difficult asks of any defense. The most shining example of the Buckeyes’ prowess with their backs against their own goal line came in the Cotton Bowl, when Ohio State fended off the Texas Longhorns partly on execution and partly on reputation.
That decisive stand began with 3:56 to play, with a Texas first-and-goal situation at the OSU 1-yard line in a one-touchdown game.
That was the most high-profile goal-line stand of the season, but it wasn’t the only one.
Ohio State stopped one such red zone trip in the regular season meeting with Oregon and held the Ducks to field goals on two others. The Buckeyes held Nebraska without a point on another goal-line stand, and did the same twice to Penn State, with the second of those coming late in the game — after which the Buckeyes squeezed the clock dry with the run game.
Ohio State also had stops at the goal line against Purdue and Northwestern. Against Michigan, the Buckeyes held one such foray into the red zone to a field goal and stopped two others — one on fourth down, and one on a Sawyer interception.
The Silver Bullets did it again in the fourth quarter of the College Football Playoff title game against Notre Dame.
The Irish trailed by 16 points and drove just inside the OSU 10-yard line to the 8 for a first down. Ohio State’s Kenyatta Jackson Jr. stopped Riley Leonard for a 1-yard loss on first down. Leonard threw incomplete on second and third downs. Marcus Freeman decided to kick a field goal despite trailing by 16 with 9:31 to play, and Mitch Jeter missed the 27-yard attempt.
While Ohio State might have been able to win the national championship without such a stout red-zone defense, the Buckeyes would have had to do it a different way, which would have put more pressure on quarterback Will Howard and the offense in tighter games.
The Buckeyes would have had a much more difficult time beating Penn State, and that in turn would have at least forced the Buckeyes to go on the road in the CFP if they made it at all.
That’s why I find the team’s opponent red-zone conversion percentage the most telling stat of the 2024 season.
Continue reading...
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Getting stops in the red zone was critical in Ohio State’s 2024 national championship season.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the numbers that will be most important for the Buckeyes this college football season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all our “Most Telling Stat” articles here.
Of all the statistical areas in which the 2024 Ohio State Buckeyes excelled last season, perhaps the most critical was opponents’ red zone conversion rate.
The Silver Bullets held opponents to scoring points on just 60.53% of their trips into the red zone, per CFBStats.com. That was second best nationally to Army’s 60%, and Ohio State’s stops were against much better offensive competition — especially in the postseason.
The Buckeyes allowed opponents to get into the red zone 38 times in 2024, which was tied for 24th nationally — not terrible, but not elite. However, once OSU’s opposition got into scoring position, the Buckeyes stepped up and got the job done. The Buckeyes allowed 23 total scores in those 38 situations, which is tied with Mississippi for the fewest, with Ole Miss having faced 32 such situations, giving Ohio State the better percentage of stops.
Additionally, Ohio State permitted just 16 touchdowns out of those 23 scores, forcing seven field goals and getting 15 stops. So, opponents got into the end zone in less than half of their trips into the red zone against the Buckeyes.
Those 16 touchdowns surrendered against the opposition in the red zone were the fewest among FBS teams, tied with Ole Miss and Northern Illinois.
Where the Buckeyes excelled was in getting stops at the goal line, which is one of the most difficult asks of any defense. The most shining example of the Buckeyes’ prowess with their backs against their own goal line came in the Cotton Bowl, when Ohio State fended off the Texas Longhorns partly on execution and partly on reputation.
That decisive stand began with 3:56 to play, with a Texas first-and-goal situation at the OSU 1-yard line in a one-touchdown game.
- First Down: Jerrick Gibson ran up the middle for no gain, stopped by J.T. Tuimoloau and Arvelle Reese.
- Second Down: Having failed up the middle, and possibly swayed by Ohio State’s success up the gut in short yardage all season, Texas went with a toss play left on second and goal. Quintrevion Wismer was slowed in the backfield by Caleb Downs and dropped for a 7-yard loss by Lathan Ransom.
- Third Down: Forced into a passing situation, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian called a pass play on third-and-goal from the 8-yard line, with Jack Sawyer’s loop inside creating pressure and an incomplete pass.
- Fourth Down: Sawyer sacked Quinn Ewers, forced a fumble, recovered it, and ran it back 83 yards for a touchdown to ice the game.
That was the most high-profile goal-line stand of the season, but it wasn’t the only one.
Ohio State stopped one such red zone trip in the regular season meeting with Oregon and held the Ducks to field goals on two others. The Buckeyes held Nebraska without a point on another goal-line stand, and did the same twice to Penn State, with the second of those coming late in the game — after which the Buckeyes squeezed the clock dry with the run game.
Ohio State also had stops at the goal line against Purdue and Northwestern. Against Michigan, the Buckeyes held one such foray into the red zone to a field goal and stopped two others — one on fourth down, and one on a Sawyer interception.
The Silver Bullets did it again in the fourth quarter of the College Football Playoff title game against Notre Dame.
The Irish trailed by 16 points and drove just inside the OSU 10-yard line to the 8 for a first down. Ohio State’s Kenyatta Jackson Jr. stopped Riley Leonard for a 1-yard loss on first down. Leonard threw incomplete on second and third downs. Marcus Freeman decided to kick a field goal despite trailing by 16 with 9:31 to play, and Mitch Jeter missed the 27-yard attempt.
While Ohio State might have been able to win the national championship without such a stout red-zone defense, the Buckeyes would have had to do it a different way, which would have put more pressure on quarterback Will Howard and the offense in tighter games.
The Buckeyes would have had a much more difficult time beating Penn State, and that in turn would have at least forced the Buckeyes to go on the road in the CFP if they made it at all.
That’s why I find the team’s opponent red-zone conversion percentage the most telling stat of the 2024 season.
Continue reading...
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MLB General Discussion (Official Thread)
- Professional Baseball
- 4057 Replies
At least you're 12-4 and not 4-12
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MLB General Discussion (Official Thread)
- By Jaxbuck
- Professional Baseball
- 4057 Replies
No other MLB team has lost more than 1
10 teams haven't lost even 1 game 1-0
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