Alabama’s approach to OSU last season
I watched the highlights of OSU vs Alabama in the 2021 National Championship to see what the strategy was when OSU was playing great last season.
A few take aways
Offense
- Alabama utilized their RB in the pass game quite a bit, particularly with play action. After last week I’d say we have at least two RBs who can be threats in this area.
- There were very few designed QB runs, but when the Buckeyes left a lane open Mac scrambled for a lot of “easy” yards. Cade doesn’t have to be a track star to do similar things, and in Bama’s case it forced OSU to bring a spy on a good number of plays and opened things up elsewhere.
- Smith commanded a lot of respect in the passing game. This prevented OSU from stacking the box, and anytime they committed to the run Smith made them pay. I think this would be the hardest piece to mimic as we don’t have a similar bonafide WR star with that size… maybe Anthony?
Defense
- As many on the site have pointed out, you have to prevent the big play. Alabama gave up some big plays but nothing that went all the way to the house, forcing redzone offense, and made OSU kick 2 field goals.
- Open field tackling was critical. There were many chances for OSU to break a big play, but catching someone’s feet or getting off a block quickly were critical in the first half of that game. We will definitely need Green back for this game.
- Alabama didn’t necessarily have to get home, but they made sure to run the QB off his spot to make throws harder. Notably they forced Fields up the middle if he scrambled, I didn’t see a single play where they let him run to the edge.
I want to note that OSU had Olave and Wilson out there last season with Fields as their QB, who is much better than Stroud. This offense may not be able to be stopped, but it can be controlled. Go Blue.
November 23rd, 2021 at 12:03 AM ^
Did you know that Alabama was getting into a recruiting war with Notre Dame over Cade McNamara? He may have taken over this year at Alabama.
November 23rd, 2021 at 12:31 AM ^
Half of our fan base doesn’t even want Cade starting…and they’ve got the Heisman favorite at QB right now. IMO comparing a possible game plan with a team that set the record for first round NFL draft picks is pretty pointless. I appreciate the OPs effort and work he put into compiling this info. But as my original point mentioned, looking at this years Oregon vs OSU game would be a more apples to apples, or Joes to Joes, comparison.
I feel like this has gotten off topic long enough. I love Harbaugh and this years team. They seem to have an edge about them that we’ve been missing for a long time. They deserve to win.
November 23rd, 2021 at 3:06 AM ^
PFF disagrees with you regarding the RBs.
Haskins and Corum would not be 3rd stringers anywhere.
November 22nd, 2021 at 9:42 PM ^
Noted that Olave and Wilson played. Have you ever checked who wasn’t? Genuinely curious.
https://twitter.com/tomvh/status/1348782635963871237?s=21.
November 22nd, 2021 at 10:04 PM ^
I didn’t, but I tried to make that comment about the offense specifically because that’s what people freak out about and that list is almost all defensive players.
November 22nd, 2021 at 10:15 PM ^
Fair point. The emergence of JSN has created additional matchup issues for defenses, but they aren’t as stressed by the threat of a QB who runs.
November 22nd, 2021 at 9:52 PM ^
“Much better than Stroud”
are we sure about this? I mean I want that to be right.
November 22nd, 2021 at 10:02 PM ^
I would argue that Fields was a better college QB than Stroud has been this year, maybe even a lot better. But my recollection is that he was banged up and playing hurt against Bama. I could be misremembering.
November 22nd, 2021 at 10:54 PM ^
Stroud will finish with a decent amount more passing yards and probably a slightly better completion % compared to Fields' full 2019 season. He's only 5 touchdowns behind Fields' passing TD total (41) but he has slightly more interceptions (5 compared to Fields' 3). Fields also rushed for about 450 more yards and 9 more touchdowns too though. They're actually pretty damned close but Fields was a bigger threat to make plays with his legs.
November 22nd, 2021 at 9:58 PM ^
Pretty solid take OP. This is where we will miss Ronnie bell the most. Bama had a plethora of targets available to them plus Waddle came back just for that game. TE All will help and if Corum and Edwards stretch the defense we could potentially go blow to blow with their offense. Not extremely optimistic we can beat them, but the potential is there.
November 22nd, 2021 at 10:00 PM ^
Limiting explosion plays is going to be key to the game.
Better to give up a little on the runs rather than the pass...its tough though as OSU has some elite speed with Henderson at the RB position.
Michigan seems to have enough weapons on offense, assuming they have a good game and not one of their bad games, to keep it close. Edwards emergence last game was huge as it will give OSU a lot to think about on defense.
Michigan's LBers are going to have to come through in a big way on Saturday...
November 22nd, 2021 at 10:31 PM ^
Josh Ross has a chance to make a huge impact. OSU will focus on exposing him. Penn St and Maryland had chances but just didn't execute
November 22nd, 2021 at 11:36 PM ^
If our defense can wrap up and make tackles when they’re there, I think we’ve got a really good chance. OSU is a YAC machine, a handful of missed tackles could spell disaster for our chances.
November 22nd, 2021 at 10:58 PM ^
So you're saying, we just need to be as good as BAMA was last year. Cool!
I'm in....I like this plan! Email Harbaugh asap.
November 22nd, 2021 at 11:27 PM ^
Fuck giving up shit to these assholes. Own them. Steal their souls. Do what the Ohioans that escaped did. Fuck em. No fear. Like the OSU kid in 2011 said, “I aint losing to these scrubs anymore!” Desmond and Chuck the fuck out of em.
November 22nd, 2021 at 11:41 PM ^
Oh, and they had Steve Sarkasian as OC, and Mac Jones at QB.
November 22nd, 2021 at 11:43 PM ^
We're gonna die.
November 23rd, 2021 at 1:09 AM ^
That's not what you said last week lol
November 23rd, 2021 at 1:12 AM ^
Don't worry, Vlad. Life after the Soviet Union is better.
November 23rd, 2021 at 12:44 AM ^
I'd be watching how Oregon got to Stroud, and how PSU sort of kept them in check. Last year isn't going to help us much.
November 23rd, 2021 at 4:13 AM ^
Oregon did a great job of making Stroud look like a freshman playing in his second collegiate game.
November 23rd, 2021 at 9:21 AM ^
I did take a look at PSU and Purdue, and the latter definitely used their RBs and underneath routes with some success. The challenge was that OSU got up so quick on Purdue, I couldn’t tell if them playing off is their actual style vs. “we don’t have to play press”. PSU has similarities to us on offense, except that Clifford has legs and can use designed runs, and actually keeps on the read. If JJ was the starter, it’s a worthwhile comp.
November 24th, 2021 at 2:45 AM ^
OSU was rushing three and dropping their DE into a zone coverage. Cheap rushing yards based on the coverage, and Purdue still only gained 91 for the day.
The OSU strategy was to keep Bell from getting loose. It worked. He got 115 yards not 225 like he did to Iowa and MSU. They played a soft zone and once they realized they could name their score on Purdue’s D they didn’t much care if Purdue went on 10 play, 5 minute drives.
There is zero chance they run this game plan against us. They’ll play the run and vary their coverages. I’d expect a lot of blitzes out of them. Better to watch what their D did against MSU…here is to hoping we have much better answers.
November 23rd, 2021 at 1:08 AM ^
I like what you're saying but nah no chance
November 23rd, 2021 at 1:55 AM ^
My biggest fear is that OSU’s greatest strength on offense is their WRs and their passing game. Our greatest defensive weakness is our secondary. Not a great matchup to say the least. If they’re successful in using the pass to set up the run like they did against state, we’re in trouble. Here’s hoping Macdonald can find a way to slow them down.
November 23rd, 2021 at 6:42 AM ^
I beg to differ. OSU will take their shots but I think they’re gonna man ball us. Hinton and Mazi may get pushed back by quite a bit in this one. Hell Maryland for the most part kept our Dline held in check with a bunch of 2 stars.
November 23rd, 2021 at 7:52 AM ^
Yeah, Henderson vs our rush D will be the key to this game.
November 23rd, 2021 at 9:20 AM ^
Yep. If Henderson rips off a few early big runs and we’re on our heals, look out. I’m gonna wake up early, if I even sleep at all, hope for the best and be prepared to be dong punched. OSU has looked vulnerable at times against any D with a pulse and I’m hoping our D can do the same. Basically copy Nebraska, Oregon and Penn states gameplan and make it better. That’s all we can do.
November 23rd, 2021 at 12:40 PM ^
Wait. If Henderson rips off some big ones early, that means we’ll be more likely to bunch the line and be susceptible to a pass over the top and to play action. In contrast, being back on our heels means they’ve established the pass, which would then set up Henderson for some big runs—ie, my original point. Again, I hope they do try to establish the run first, because what they did to state was frightening and I think we match up better there. But who knows. Go blue.
November 23rd, 2021 at 12:27 PM ^
I hope they try to manball us with Henderson because I think our defense matches up better to that, despite what happened against Kenneth Walker. If OSU attacks our secondary from sideline to sideline with the occasional shot down the field, I fear they will be more successful, much more.
November 23rd, 2021 at 2:15 AM ^
We're gonna give up some points. We have to hope we can make it like a 28-24 or 31-28 type game, not a shootout, because if we get into a shootout OSU will roll us.
November 23rd, 2021 at 4:09 AM ^
MSU's emulation of Alabama worked really well last weekend. Good luck with that!
November 23rd, 2021 at 6:44 AM ^
Couldn’t just stay on the reach around club board eh? Shouldn’t you be walking around ColuXbus with a marker putting X’s over the letter M.
November 23rd, 2021 at 6:39 AM ^
I haven’t read the comments yet, but would like to point out that we aren’t last yrs Bama. Few teams ever will be.
November 23rd, 2021 at 6:41 AM ^
They don't run the same defensive scheme as last year and Stroud does not have the same tendencies as Fields.
November 23rd, 2021 at 7:48 AM ^
I am really happy with how Cade has performed this year, but I don't see UM winning this game with him as our QB unless we are plus two in the turnover margin. We probably need someone that can force the defense to defend the QB keeper more and convert with his legs and/or someone capable of making a few more throws and avoiding rushers. That said, I think the future is great for JJ and I'm very pleased with the improved QB play over last season. This is not a knock on Cade. Not many P5 QBs can beat OSU.
November 23rd, 2021 at 9:03 AM ^
Wolverines need to be able to disrupt the play while the ball still in Stroud's hands and do so with as few rushers as possible. OSU receivers are too good for even a very good secondary to consistently blanket, although they could get Stroud to delay a bit if they are effective in disguising the coverages and giving Stroud unfamiliar looks. It would help if Wolverines can get at least some pressure with the front-4 on D. The Buckeye o-line is an outstanding unit, so I am not sure if they is a realistic expectation. If they don't disrupt the timing and take care of the other fundamentals (not miss tackles, get off blocks. and grab a TO over two). It might be a long afternoon.
As I am sure you all are aware. Ohio State D was bad to start the season. Now they are average and perhaps even above average. They played their best game against Sparty. But they are vulnerable none-the-less. I do expect the Wolverines are going to have some success there. They will need that success. And when they are doing so they will need to control the clock to limit OSU's possessions and put the ball in the endzone at least 5 times.
I do think Wolverines have a decent shot at winning this game. But they are going to have to do it from all sides of the ball. I was really impressed the last time I watched them and how they handled PSU. So I do think this game is going to be a battle.
Michigan will be the best team Ohio State has faced all year no doubt. Oregon was a very good team as well, but Michigan now has a season's worth of experience on top of it. So perhaps the combination of huge expectations, being on the road, and a high caliber opponent will combine to throw off the Buckeyes. Another thing that the Wolverine's might hope for is that Ohio State is a fairly young team and that the inexperience at a key position or two will tilt the game in the Wolverine's favor.
I'll be honest and say I am nervous for the Buckeyes. And I think the credit goes to the Michigan team who is playing extremely well this year. As good as the Buckeyes are, the gap this year feels much closer than in previous years. So I look for a game that goes into the 4th quarter.
November 23rd, 2021 at 10:15 AM ^
If our defense lets Handerson run wild like they let Walker run, it's going to be a long day. The question is can our D force Stroud into early decisions while not over pursuing and letting Henderson go wild on delays and draw plays.
November 23rd, 2021 at 10:16 AM ^
Oh, and Gattis can't run up the middle on 1st and 2nd down all day and relying Cade and the receivers to bail out the offense on 3rd and 8 to 3rd and 12.
November 23rd, 2021 at 10:43 AM ^
Yeah that’s not gonna work. OSUs run D is gonna stuff that early and often. I do think we can dink and dunk a little and maybe hit a big one. Getting outside later and if,,if we can somehow wear them down, pound the rock.
November 23rd, 2021 at 1:55 PM ^
This fun little article is posted/referenced on 11 warriors. There's a good 25 posters on that board and only 2 of them have a brain.
November 23rd, 2021 at 2:57 PM ^
Its a great writeup, but the main question is can Michigan do what Alabama did without having the players that Alabama has? You'll have to forgive me for having my doubts.
Alabama recruits just as well, if not better than OSU on a year to year basis. They are probably the only program in America that in any given year, they can stare OSU in the face and say "Put your best players out there, and I'll put mine out there, and I'm willing to bet that man for man, we can take you on and beat you," and actually be able to back it up.
Maybe its just me, but just saying "Let's look at what Alabama did and go do that" is a lot easier said than done. You can draw up the schemes, sure, but you don't have all the athletes they had who can go execute it against other top-flight competition. Or let's put it this way: you don't have as many of them as Alabama does.
November 23rd, 2021 at 3:12 PM ^
Good analysis. Something to note however, wasn't OSU missing quite a few guys from Covid? I seem to recall their top defensive lineman being out - along with maybe both of their defensive ends and top cornerback?
I am think they were missing 12-15 players with 5 or 6 being starters, Then they lost the top running back on the first or second play of the game.Still think AL wins comfortably but not a blowout.
November 23rd, 2021 at 6:38 PM ^
Win the “Game”
Fuck Ohio!