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2025 tOSU Defense Discussion

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I think the best scenario for the next DC, is to use as much time as possible and not just promote MG because he's on staff. Wait until after the SB if need be, and see what NFL coaches are available. This is tOSU, the defending National Champions, just promoted from within shouldn't be the 1st option, IMO. If it is in the end, so be it. But there's no reason to not pursue: Texas DC, Hafley, Jerod Mayo, Leonhard, hell send a feeler out to Nick Saban just because. But just promoting MG shouldn't be done anytime soon. OSU is all the leverage, and plenty of time. Enough coaches to continue recruiting in the mean time too
 
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I think the biggest thing in 2025 is to build off the success of Caleb Downs in his hybrid role as safety/blitzing LB.

Nick Saban called it out prior to the TN game, and then it was a joy to watch throughout the following playoff games. QB's have to process (1) of (3) potential options......he's dropping deep into zone coverage, he's possibly going to pick up a TE/RB/ or slot receiver in man, or he's coming up to fill a run gap or blitz the QB depending on offensive play call. And the best thing about it according to Saban, is in an era of 7 on 7 ball, QB's see all these coverages ad nauseum. It's rare you see a new scheme. The fact they had Dillon Gabriel seeing ghosts was astonishing. It's just not something QB's ever see, so when the bullets are flying, it becomes a post snap dilemma when you have to identify so much so quickly.

The end product is a QB holding the ball a split second longer than normal, trying to read what Downs is doing, and then process the coverage the rest of the secondary is in....which ultimately allows the pass rush to get home. It was the solution to almost of all of our problems post the Oregon loss.

I think it'd be interesting to know who had the most input on that formula mid-season, bc Saban says it's not a look they were deploying prior to Oregon loss. In many ways, Caleb Downs basically became the downhill safety Troy Polamalu was, which is fitting because Joel Klatt has compared Downs to Troy for about 2 years now.....and that was without the wrinkle in the defense allowing Downs to play most downs at LB depth.

Will be fun to see how the defensive depth chart shakes out but it's rare to get this excited over a defensive player.....glad we get one more year to watch it.
 
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billmac91 said:
I think the biggest thing in 2025 is to build off the success of Caleb Downs in his hybrid role as safety/blitzing LB.

Nick Saban called it out prior to the TN game, and then it was a joy to watch throughout the following playoff games. QB's have to process (1) of (3) potential options......he's dropping deep into zone coverage, he's possibly going to pick up a TE/RB/ or slot receiver in man, or he's coming up to fill a run gap or blitz the QB depending on offensive play call. And the best thing about it according to Saban, is in an era of 7 on 7 ball, QB's see all these coverages ad nauseum. It's rare you see a new scheme. The fact they had Dillon Gabriel seeing ghosts was astonishing. It's just not something QB's ever see, so when the bullets are flying, it becomes a post snap dilemma when you have to identify so much so quickly.

The end product is a QB holding the ball a split second longer than normal, trying to read what Downs is doing, and then process the coverage the rest of the secondary is in....which ultimately allows the pass rush to get home. It was the solution to almost of all of our problems post the Oregon loss.

I think it'd be interesting to know who had the most input on that formula mid-season, bc Saban says it's not a look they were deploying prior to Oregon loss. In many ways, Caleb Downs basically became the downhill safety Troy Polamalu was, which is fitting because Joel Klatt has compared Downs to Troy for about 2 years now.....and that was without the wrinkle in the defense allowing Downs to play most downs at LB depth.

Will be fun to see how the defensive depth chart shakes out but it's rare to get this excited over a defensive player.....glad we get one more year to watch it.
Click to expand...

Spot on! And Caleb’s role felt like a defense’s version of a RPO scheme if you will. His versatility allowed them to switch between Cover 3, Tampa 2, Quarters/C4 and like you said a lot of times it’s about just causing that extra 1-1.5 seconds of hesitation for the QB. Caleb also has the speed and instincts where he can disrupt run plays while lining up deep enough that he wouldn’t be part of the offense’s run fit, essentially being an unblocked run defender.

It’s unreal as a Buckeye fan to have #2 on defense and #4 on offense on the same damn team.

EDIT to add: my amateur 2 cents on the Knowles vs LJ Sr. schematic differences etc. - in the run game the DL seemed to pinch and “spill” the runs outside. They did this a bit in the second half of Oregon but I noticed it a lot more in the playoffs. Styles and Simon were lined up as OLBs and Downs was playing essentially the MLB position. This was very different to how they started the season and the Oregon game. In the passing game this 3 high look with mostly 4 man and sometimes 5 man pressures seemed to turn JTT and Sawyer from overrated in big games to 5 stars who lived up to their recruiting hype. I don’t know enough about what changed, but overall it felt like Day basically had them both “meet in the middle” so to speak on defense. I guess Knowles just loved “Jack” more than Ohio State so he took his ball and went home to Pennsylvania :biggrin:
 
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My opinion is that Matt G and Walton should be given a shot. The system Knowles installed works and that needs to be the system. Knowles system eventually became “be able to do everything well”. We’ve got to have answers for everything like we’ve seen this past year.

Anyone else really excited for the possibilities with this defense next year? Maybe we don’t have the front but the secondary and LBs should be really good. The front should also be very unique if we roll with more 3 DL looks with someone like Hicks/Pettijohn/Styles rolling off an edge.
 
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