Film Study: What is, You Know, Working in the Run Game?

We’ve focused so much on the negatives when it comes to OSU’s run game. We should take a look at a few things they’re doing correctly as well.

Coach Gundy said they changed up the blocking schemes for the game-winning drive against West Virginia.

I’m not so sure of that. I think it goes back to what Mr. Epstein said in the PFB podcast. To me it looks like the o-line had a little fight left in them and decided they wanted to win. The difference I can see are 1) they run to the short side of the field and 2) they send the WR in motion.

Notice WVU’s defensive alignment, they have three players that are basically excusing themselves from the play.

Side note: I just had my marketing coordinator show me how to use paint on my computer. No, I’m not that old, graduated from OSU in 2007 and yes I realize it looks like a small child drew that. I take full responsibility for the low quality, but I will not apologize for it.

On snap, the RG pulls to kick out the DE, he doesn’t make the best block, but by gosh he gets enough of him to take him out of the play. The TE and LT double down the DT, the center does a nice job holding his ground on the NT, the LG blocks the backside backer and the LT kicks out the DE.

The WR motion freezes the other two backside players and takes them out of the play. As shown in my below average paint brush skills.

The RG gets enough of a block so the FB can act as a proper lead blocker. Washington gets enough of his man, and Childs hits the hole with force.

Now OSU has another set of down to work with in overtime. Again, going back to the podcast, this is all about attitude and execution.

Hopefully this will be the start of a new type of bad attitude the linemen bring to the rest of the season. The “We’re going to run it down your throat and there’s nothing you can do to stop us” type of bad attitude.

Cowboys Ride For Free did a great job, much better than I can, breaking down this next play in their “Chalk Talk.”

What I really want to do is acknowledge my man Mr. Paul Lewis. We rag on him a lot and I wanted to give credit where credit is due.

OSU is running a QB trap play, which is everyone blocks right and the guard pulls back to the left to block the DT. Paul Lewis clears his guy out of the middle on 4th down with the game on the line and helps give OSU the OT victory

That’s what you want in a player, game’s on the line and he goes out and makes a play. Hopefully this will give him and the rest of the o-line some confidence going into the meat of the schedule.

OSU is going to have to be able to turn some of these games into a fist fight, big nasty offensive lineman will sure help. The d-line is up for the challenge, if the o-line can step up, this team will do great things.