I'm not sure if anyone else noticed this in the stands on Saturday, but I sure did.
Every time a run play was called, Braxton wouldn't wait for UCF's defense to set up before snapping the ball. When it was a pass play, he'd let them set up. I'm wondering if the UCF defense caught onto this and knew what was going on. Nearly every time Braxton snapped the ball before UCF set up, it was a run play. It's almost as if Braxton was too anxious to get the ball snapped and go. I'm hoping this was by design or something, because better defenses are going to pick up on this and be prepared.
How to tell it's a run play -> OSU has the ball?
At this point, the opposing Defense could defend the run all day and be right about two-thirds of the time. Still, that's an interesting observation I did not notice during the game.
good observation...I still don't think Meyer cares if the defense knows a run is coming....it's about where the run is going to and how it is going to happen....I think braxton needs to keep improving on decision making in the zone read and it won't matter if we tell them it's a run coming
agree with Alex... this offense isnt so much about the play thats called as it is about the QB making the right pre-snap and post-snap reads.
I completely agree with Alex. That is what is supposed to be infuriating about the zone-option read plays, defenses KNOW its a run but the offense can react to the defense and use the option that best attacks the defense.
Too much Braxton and not enough of the other weapons we have. There were a few times during the ESPN special Urban asked/told Braxton to pitch the ball. It is going to be a work in progress and I think Braxton will start to have more faith in the offense and other skill positions when they start to see more success
Braxton also has a habit of leaning in the direction that he is going to go on designed runs.
I hadn't noticed that, but I did notice the number of hand claps you see/hear from Braxton also tends to give away if it is a run or pass.
I'm sure Urban, Herman, the offense, etc. probably don't care if the defense knows what is coming at them, as long as the offense executes the play. But at the same time, wouldn't it still be better/more effective if they did not know?
"What we do in life echoes in eternity"
Eh, the hand claps have less to do (closer to nothing) with the play calls as they do snap count. Braxton (more likely Herman/Meyer) probably throw that in when calling the play once a defense has caught on to the count.
Clap..1..2..3..snap. Where when he claps twice, the lineman know to wait for the second clap the defense does not.
This is a little off topic from the OP, but the whole "slap to snap" is different to me. In some sense, I think it probably lessen false starts on the line but I would tend to think it makes it easier for defenses to pick up counts.
I also don't hear Braxton making any calls, it seems to me the entire offensive timing and snap is completely dependent on the clap.
Besides the affect on tOSU offense, I have to wonder if this stumps Braxton's development and potential at the next level too...
I'm not against it, just curious
I think how the clap works is being built up and changed to make sure the next weeks opponents don't know how to que off of it. It seemed different than the first game IMO.
The clap just indicates to the Center that the offense is set and ready for the snap whenever the Center is ready to snap it. They are varying the number of claps though to throw off the defense and preventing them from jumping the count like defenses used to do to Bollman's lines.
Is the offensive line going of the ball too? If so, doesn't that take away the benefit of the offense knowing the start of the play over the defense and getting a head start?
Yes the offense is supposed to confuse the defense and make them chase the wrong direction, but there is no way the other team knowing run/pass is a good thing. If a good, disciplined defense like MSU picks up on something like that our run game will be much less effective.
The only thing that worries me about the "clap to snap" is going to be away games, going to be really hard for the linemen to hear it.
It's easier to hear a clap than a voice, IMO
/Duff'd It
As far as the clap goes I was always under the impression that the clap just meant Braxton is ready. The center is actually calling the cadence so the linemen can hear it. So if they call the play on two once the center hears the clap he calls the cadence "hut, hut, hike".