2018 tOSU Offense Discussion

[scarletngray]

Buckeyes Finally Show Run Game Improvement

Among the list of areas where Ohio State needed to show improvement this week was the run game.

After four quarters of play Saturday against Nebraska, it was clear that the Buckeyes were better this week than they have been since very early in the season. The 229 yards rushing may not have been the best overall performance on the ground for the Buckeyes this year, but it was a very timely performance by tailbacks J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber.

The duo of running backs combined for 254 yards on Saturday, the most since the opener against Oregon State.

Head coach Urban Meyer said after the game that they did all kinds of different things schematically to get the running game going, and their work showed on Saturday.

Leading the way on the ground was sophomore running back J.K. Dobbins, who finished with a season high 163 yards on 23 carries. He scored three touchdowns and averaged 7.1 yards per carry.

It was clear from the beginning that Dobbins was going to be a reliable weapon for Ohio State offensively, but junior running back Mike Weber also had quite the day with 91 yards on nine attempts. A pair of fumbles, however, put a couple of black marks on Weber’s solid day.

“It was great to get back to our old ways,” Dobbins said. “We knew what we could do. I don’t know what was happening [before], but today showed that we still got it.”

Entire article: https://theozone.net/2018/11/buckeyes-finally-show-run-game-improvement/

Yes, indeed!

 

[1926Buckeyes]

I feel slightly better knowing they removed the RPOs. It would explain the lack of rhythm in the passing game and could mean that this is a change they could actually build off instead of just a stop gap.

Now need the passing game to step back up to its previous level and cut down on turnovers.

 

[AuTX Buckeye]

Q: is the line full of Studs recruits or is it a mix of Traitor and Studs guys?

 

[NFBuck]

Q: is the line full of Studs recruits or is it a mix of Traitor and Studs guys?

Mix. Stud came on in 2016, so anybody a Junior or above was prior to his arrival.

 

[Buckeneye]

I feel slightly better knowing they removed the RPOs. It would explain the lack of rhythm in the passing game and could mean that this is a change they could actually build off instead of just a stop gap.

Now need the passing game to step back up to its previous level and cut down on turnovers.

That's the thing though. RPO's when sprinkled in correctly usually help to simplify a QB's life. In the long run NOT using them will affect this offense in a negative way.

This is exactly why the Oline and the coaches need to get their acts together ASAFP. I'm all for getting back to basics but concepts like that, in 2018 football, are pretty integral.

 

[AuTX Buckeye]

Mix. Stud came on in 2016, so anybody a Junior or above was prior to his arrival.

That's the thing though. RPO's when sprinkled in correctly usually help to simplify a QB's life. In the long run NOT using them will affect this offense in a negative way.

This is exactly why the Oline and the coaches need to get their acts together ASAFP. I'm all for getting back to basics but concepts like that, in 2018 football, are pretty integral.

I haven been able to watch many games this year. Who’s players are the biggest liability on the Oline?

 

[MaxBuck]

That's the thing though. RPO's when sprinkled in correctly usually help to simplify a QB's life. In the long run NOT using them will affect this offense in a negative way.

This is exactly why the Oline and the coaches need to get their acts together ASAFP. I'm all for getting back to basics but concepts like that, in 2018 football, are pretty integral.

I think the staff has pretty thoroughly demonstrated its level of competency in developing an effective RPO-oriented offense.

 

[calibuck]

Uhh, but weren't RPOs such a big part of tOSU's offense last year with JT at the helm? It could be my memory, but can't recollect as many OL offsides/downfield penalties last year? Why even pretend. If tOSU QB runs this season, it is a serious mix-up in the backfield. Go Bucks! Wait! not you Oline, the snap hasn't been called.....

 

[1926Buckeyes]

That's the thing though. RPO's when sprinkled in correctly usually help to simplify a QB's life. In the long run NOT using them will affect this offense in a negative way.

This is exactly why the Oline and the coaches need to get their acts together ASAFP. I'm all for getting back to basics but concepts like that, in 2018 football, are pretty integral.

I meant just for this week in regards to the rhythm of the passing game. I definitely agree they will need to use them to some degree later in some games to come.

 

[Powair7s]

With the exception of doxon, this entire team is missing that fire. Dixon is the only player who acts like he wants to be playing. Very frustrating to see

 

[Jaxbuck]

I thought I saw this in real time but re-watching now and look at the 4th down stuff on the first drive in a series of stills:

#1



The OL does a good job of blocking down and walling off the DL
RT Prince is driving his man back
TE at top of screen sealed off his guy to the outside
Dobbins just needs to be patient and read the block of the TE/FB in front of him


#2


Either the blocker is too slow or Dobbins is too impatient but he's going to miss a big hole

#3
as we see here Dobbins is highlighted (buried in the ass of his OL) and two truck driver worthy lanes are open to either side of his lead blocker if he would have taken them




Like a lot of maddening failures this year, they are just a little off. One guy this play, another guy on that play

Never seen anything like it from OSU under Meyer.

 

[Bestbuck36]

Couple other things stand out while rewatching this debacle.

1. Mike Weber has superb vision. If he just locks the football in when contact comes, he would be smashing defenses even more than Dobbins in my opinion. Put Dobbins shiftiness on Weber and you'd have Maurice Clarett.

2. Why the fuck are we not a huge screen team?!?! We are incredible at it. Slow the defense down and confuse their fits by using multiple screen looks. Then when they get flat footed, go deep or pound the run at them. Such a pitiful rhythm our Offense has since coach came back. I really dont think there's a defense in the country that can deal with our screen game and we are going to need it vs that team up north.

 

[Jaxbuck]

Another thing to point out from #1: Look at #22 and #23 on the defense at the bottom of the screen.

They have been coached to give zero attention to any kind of QB keep. They call a bootleg there and Haskins gets however many yards he wants.

 

[Poe McKnoe]

Uhh, but weren't RPOs such a big part of tOSU's offense last year with JT at the helm? It could be my memory, but can't recollect as many OL offsides/downfield penalties last year? Why even pretend. If tOSU QB runs this season, it is a serious mix-up in the backfield. Go Bucks! Wait! not you Oline, the snap hasn't been called.....

RPOs weren’t a big piece last year because Barrett was a threat with his legs, so it was the spread read option with no pass option and has been for better or worse with Miller and Jones too. I think Barrett did run it a few times as a wrinkle, but he generally didn’t throw slants for whatever reason.

 

[buckeyboy]

Couple other things stand out while rewatching this debacle.

1. Mike Weber has superb vision. If he just locks the football in when contact comes, he would be smashing defenses even more than Dobbins in my opinion. Put Dobbins shiftiness on Weber and you'd have Maurice Clarett.

2. Why the fuck are we not a huge screen team?!?! We are incredible at it. Slow the defense down and confuse their fits by using multiple screen looks. Then when they get flat footed, go deep or pound the run at them. Such a pitiful rhythm our Offense has since coach came back. I really dont think there's a defense in the country that can deal with our screen game and we are going to need it vs that team up north.

I hope they are saving them for the game because they are going to have to use screen passes to slow down scUM's pressure.