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Changes in Buckeye Running Game Strategy?

+6 HS
TaketheCannoli's picture
November 6, 2022 at 8:59am
63 Comments

I remember at Urban Meyer's introductory news conference he discussed his offensive philosophies. One of his points was despite the unique sets for 2012, his teams ran a lot of plain old ISO run plays that he learned in the 80s working for Earle Bruce. The main difference was that with no fullback, his H-Backs and tight ends were concentrated at the point of attack, and if needed they got the extra blocker by running the QB. 

It looks to me this strategy has changed since Ryan Day and Kevin Wilson took over the offense. It looks like they have adopted more of a zone blocking scheme where the back needs to look for the open gap and cut to it. For the most part using the QB as a runner has greatly diminished. JT Barrett, Cardale Jones, Braxton Miller ran often and clearly when the box was stacked they ran a lot of ISO plays to clear the way for these running QBs. This seems to have changed with the arrival of Day/Wilson. Duane Haskins rarely ran the ball, and as good a runner as Justin Fields is he rarely ran the ball and for the most part only when he was forced to scramble. This continued the last two years. I know CJ Stroud is a good runner. All we need to see is his TD his true freshman year against Michigan State.

https://twitter.com/chaseabrown__/status/1577373850119331840?s=20&t=E_L5...

I'm pretty sure a zone scheme works just fine. Wisconsin has been a zone blocking running attack for a long time, and they run as well as anyone. Everyone knows they are going to run the ball, yet they still are able to move the ball.  What's different at OSU? Type of linemen we recruit? I mean Wisconsin (and Minnesota) doesn't recruit at the level OSU recruits. Are they recruiting a different type? Are the Buckeyes recruiting a different kind of lineman than during  Meyers' years? Should the Buckeyes go back to the ISO approach Meyers was so successful running? 

 

 

 

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