Given all the discussion about what the Buckeyes are doing on offense, I decided to chart all 65 offensive snaps vs. Washington (counting the one washed out by penalty). Purpose of this post is not to argue for or against certain personnel or strategy - just to see what we did most often.
PERSONNEL
11 (1RB, 1TE, 3WR) — 24 snaps
12 (1RB, 2TE, 2WR) — 28 snaps
13 (1RB, 3TE, 1WR) — 9 snaps
14 (1RB, 4TE, 0WR) — 3 snaps
21 (2RB, 1TE, 2WR) — 1 snap
12 personnel was our most frequent, but we used it many, many different ways …
a) Both TEs on the end of the line
b) One TE in-line, then Klare split out (looks like traditional 11 personnel)
c) Start like “b” but split-out TE comes in motion and blocks (for either run or pass)
d) One TE (Roberts) lined up in backfield as H or FB
More than half the snaps in 11 personnel, the TE was split out so we were 4-wide. Sometimes we started in that set, sometimes we motioned into it … and twice the RB motioned out, so we were 11 personnel, but 5-wide. On multiple 11 personnel sets, we brought Inniss in motion and snapped it when he was fairly tight, turning him into a blocker on the edge, almost like a second TE. In short, we give a lotta, lotta different looks out of both 11 and 12 personnel.
We talk a lot about the importance of RB pass pro, but that wasn’t a big focus. Despite having an RB on the field every play, and dropping back to pass 32 times (28 throws, 3 scrambles, 1 sack), the RB was only asked to pass-pro 7 times. We sent our RBs into the pass route often, and we had many, many quick-release throws before the RB would have to block anyone.
We DID have our TEs heavily involved in pass-pro — Kacmarek as an in-line TE basically serving as a sixth O-lineman … bringing someone in motion then having them stay to block, etc. On the one sack, it was a designed boot (line slides left, Sayin spins right), but when Kacmarek (right-side TE) chipped his guy and released into the route, there was no one there to block the guy, as Klare and Bo had flared right and left.
We ran three-tight-end sets 6 times while the game was in doubt, 4 on first down. Runs of 2, 2 and 3 yards plus an incompletion/offensive holding were not great. An 8-yard run and 6-yard pass were better.
We ran four-tight-end sets 3 times, all in short yardage inside the 5 — the failed 4th-and-1 run on the first drive, the 1-yard TD run to open the second half (CJ ran into Tegra’s back at the half-yard line but was able to push and spin in), and the late TD on the creative leak-out pass to CJ (where Thurman was even more open).
