Re: Run to set up the pass or pass to set up the run?

Trainer [34]

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Joined: 12/19/16

Dec 26, 2019, 2:19 PM

Since you're likely to get responses like "doesn't matter what we do, we'll still beat them by 49 points!", I'll try giving you a legitimate response.

I think your question is a very good one. OSU's DL is very good at both pass rushing and run stopping, statistically. Their interior linemen eat up OL and the edge rushers are usually disciplined enough to not just rush up the football field and leave running lanes. That said, TL and the wide receivers are clearly the best OSU has played all year.

The perceived weakness of the OSU defense is the LB corps. Specifically Borland against the pass. He isn't as athletic as Browning and can't make up ground like a Simmons or Malik Harrison for us. That said, Borland excels against the run. He has good instincts here and has a nose for plugging holes. It makes me wonder if the Clemson coaches will specifically call passing plays if they notice Borland in the game or run plays if Browning is in. Conversely, do the OSU defensive coaches go with 2 LBs and run another DB onto the field?

ETN is a spectacular back, with Zach Smith granting him the best back in country on his podcast a couple weeks ago. Noted his elusivity, YAC, speed. I don't think, however, that Clemson is a run-first type offense (admittedly I haven't watched enough Clemson games to tell you what they do in the first quarter of games), but I believe in the big games the passing has led them, allowing ETN to then do his thing when teams are forced to drop 5-6.

It will be a great chess match, but if I had to bet I would imagine the gameplan for Clemson would be to pass to open up the run.

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Funny you would mention Oregon, who is my #2 team behind Clemson.

Here is an interesting fact about Chip Kelly most people don't realize: Before Marcus Mariota, his UO teams were run, run, run, pass. The difference is they did it with tempo which would disrupt the gap integrity of defenses. They probably ran up the "A" gap more than any team in college football. Another difference was they did it from different angles with a lot of misdirection.

It wasn't until Mariota that Oregon became a passing team. I'm totally serious.

Our offense is balanced, which is why it is so great. But ETN is the weapon defenses fear the most because if you allow him a few 4, 5, 8-yard carries, you know he's going to bust one to the house somewhere in there. Therefore, controlling the LOS against us is paramount.

What could happen is early on Ohio State dedicates themselves to stopping ETN and pick TL as the lesser poison (this is what I would do). Once we have enough success in the passing game, they have to loosen up on the back end and ETN goes to town.

If they allow ETN to have success early, it's either poor coaching or trench domination. IMO, we should test their D-line to see if they can stop us.

We are not a "run first" or "pass first" team. However, if a team cannot stop ETN, we will adapt and run him down their throats.

Run to set up the pass or pass to set up the run?