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Topic: Ohio Offensive Playbook

Topic: Ohio Offensive Playbook

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L.C.
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Ohio Offensive Playbook

Posted: 9/10/2014 5:16:51 PM

I know that some people on here feel that Ohio runs the same plays all the time, without regard to personnel on the field, and without regard to how successful they might be. In today's article, "Herd spared wrath of Tettleton", there are a whole host of very interesting comments from Marshall head coach Doc Holliday, and it is most certainly a must-read article. It is an outstanding article, and Doug Smock did a great job on it.
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20140909/GZ02/140909171/...

First were his comments with regards to Tettleton:

Doc Holliday wrote:

He made every play. There were about six or eight plays in that game a year ago. I went back and watched it, and he made them all. I don�t know how many third-down and fourth-down situations they were put in, in some critical drives, that he found a way to make a play.

Next were his comments on Ohio's two new QB's:

Doc Holliday wrote:

They don�t look like they�ve changed their philosophy a lot with either quarterback. Because they both have similar skill sets. They both can run, they both can make all the throws. So I don�t think they�re going to change what they do. They�re going to try to do what each of them does best.

But at least we�ve got a sample of both of them.

Now comes his comments on Ohio's offensive coordinator(s), and Ohio's selection of plays:

Doc Holliday wrote:

They do a great job, offensively, of tailoring what they�re doing to their personnel. They�re not as much three-tight-end stuff this year because they don�t have those physical tight ends they�ve had in the past, but they do a great job with the wideouts they have, getting the guys that can make plays, either running backs or the wideouts.

They�ve played a lot of wideouts, about nine. They�ve played three or four running backs, they�ve basically played only the one tight end, No. 82 [Troy Mangen], because of their numbers. They do a great job of not putting round pegs in square holes and trying to match their offense to what their personnel can do.

So... he thinks that Ohio does NOT always run the same things, and does a great job of mixing things up for the personnel they have available. As for me, I'm hoping that some of the other tight ends like Mason Morgan and Brennan Boland get healthy so that we CAN see some of those 2 and 3 tight end sets.

Holliday didn't stop there. He made other informative comments, such as on Ohio's offensive line:

Doc Holliday wrote:

Their offensive line never changes. They�re extremely physical, they�re well coached, they get after you. That front five never changes; they�ve looked like clones over the last five years.

And, then he had some comments on the defense:

Doc Holliday wrote:

Defensively, they�ve got a lot of kids back. They�ve got a couple of new linebackers in there, one corner, a safety there, but other than that, they�ve got a lot of guys who have played a lot of football back on that defense.

Now, they are a little different defensively. They changed their philosophy a bit. Michigan State had a great defense a year ago, and it�s kind of a copycat world in this business. They�re doing a lot of things Michigan State did a year ago, with some quarters press [coverage], some of the things our defense is doing a little bit.

The one thing that�s not different about them is they�re fundamentally sound, they play extremely hard, they get lined up and they don�t make a lot of mistakes.

I thought it was great to see what another coach thought about what Ohio is doing, and it kind of sheds some new light on things we when we see it from someone else's eyes. Holliday was much more informative about the things he sees on Ohio film than what most coaches have to say.

�We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.� ― Epictetus

bobcatsquared
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RE: Ohio Offensive Playbook

Posted: 9/10/2014 5:33:19 PM

Or, perhaps Doc is channeling Lou Holtz, the master of making his Notre Dame opponent seem like the 1985 Chicago Bears.

L.C.
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RE: Ohio Offensive Playbook

Posted: 9/10/2014 5:42:32 PM

bobcatsquared wrote:

Or, perhaps Doc is channeling Lou Holtz, the master of making his Notre Dame opponent seem like the 1985 Chicago Bears.

I don't think so. He's not saying Ohio is awesome, or unbeatable, or that any specific athlete is great (other than maybe Tettleton). He's just saying that they are fundamentally sound and well coached. If a team is fundamentally sound, it doesn't mean that they can't be beaten; it just means that they don't make a lot of mistakes, they rarely beat themselves.

That is pretty much what I see when I look at Ohio. I see a team that is solid in all respects, and too young on offense to be outstanding, and an offense that could use a few more tight ends. I see a team that has a more diverse offense than many on here give them credit for, with some variety of playcalling. I see a team with an aggressive defense, mixing in quarters with Cover 2, that rarely makes mistakes. They made a couple against Kent, and one against Kentucky, so they do make some, but they don't make too many.

Last Edited: 9/10/2014 5:43:43 PM by L.C.

�We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.� ― Epictetus

colobobcat66
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RE: Ohio Offensive Playbook

Posted: 9/10/2014 6:34:35 PM

LC, what do you really expect him to say to the press, but all these good things? Do you really believe everything he says in these Q & A sessions. I don't know what he really thinks about Ohio's football team, but this stuff is just what every football coach says about the opponent for public consumption.

Ohio69
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RE: Ohio Offensive Playbook

Posted: 9/10/2014 6:49:55 PM

colobobcat66 wrote:

Well, he doesn't have to say anything really. Or, certainly not that much. Or, he could say some generic things coaches always say. Seemed like genuine comments to me. Especially about the defense.

Can somebody hit a pull up jumper for me?.....

L.C.
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RE: Ohio Offensive Playbook

Posted: 9/10/2014 7:00:09 PM

Honestly, I expect him to say about what every other coach said, which is, not very much. Mostly you hear the usual platitudes, such as "oh, they are a solid team and we'll have to play well" and "we're definitely not overlooking them", and then they talk about their own team. That's all you ever get. I can't think of another time when I've ever seen another coach comment in such detail before, such as talking about how the team had adjusted to not having a lot of healthy tight ends, or on how the defense had changed from a pure Cover 2 defense to mixing in quarters.

To be honest, his comments raise my impression of him as a coach, because he obviously has hit very accurately on the differences between this Ohio team and the teams of the recent past:
1. This team has different, but still athletic QB's.
2. The personnel mix is different, using about 4 different running backs and 9 wide receivers, but only one tight end (so far).
3. The play selection is different because of the personnel difference.
4. It has some very different defensive schemes than in the past, that are much more aggressive. We heard the players call it "attack and react" rather than "read and react" in past years. He calls it "quarters press".

To me, other than the inexperience on offense, and the experience on defense, and the tremendous attitude of this team, these four things are the biggest difference in this team from past teams, and the ones that would most easily stand out on film, especially to someone who is very familiar with the last few Bobcat teams.

Last Edited: 9/10/2014 7:02:54 PM by L.C.

�We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.� ― Epictetus

Brian Smith (No, not that one)
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RE: Ohio Offensive Playbook

Posted: 9/10/2014 8:47:40 PM

When you want honest assessments of teams or players during a season, unnamed coach and scout quotes are much more telling and accurate, I've found.

BillyTheCat
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RE: Ohio Offensive Playbook

Posted: 9/11/2014 7:42:52 AM

colobobcat66 wrote:

+1

This is nothing more than "Coach Speak". And if they roll us, it makes them look great. If they loose a close one, well hey, I told you guys they were good.

colobobcat66
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RE: Ohio Offensive Playbook

Posted: 9/11/2014 8:52:13 AM

I'm glad that Doc can count the number of players we use at different positions. I fail to see much more than I read in the papers in Lexington about us with the exception of the details about defensive changes this year.

To hear Doc tell it, we've got really good offensive players and know how to use them to fit their strengths. That's why we're scoring 10 points a game.

Bobcatbob
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RE: Ohio Offensive Playbook

Posted: 9/11/2014 9:01:39 AM

I'm not convinced that this "coachspeak" at all in the Holtz sense (thank God!). Tettleton was an absolute terror when he was healthy and had his head in the game. I would suggest that the Marshall game a year ago was probably TT's high water mark. Had Halliday seen us in week 6 or 7, for example, I'm sure that wouldn't be the lead in this article.

As for the assessment of the offense, I agree that Frank and Tim Albin are the masters of playing to the personnel. My complaint is only that they seem to get too comfortable in that mode at the expense of a wrinkle or two.

Maybe it's too much praise relative to the current Bobcats, but I agree with LC that it's a notch above the usual game week crap we get. (Read a few Dispatch articles about Kent, if you want to see that stuff.)

L.C.
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RE: Ohio Offensive Playbook

Posted: 9/11/2014 9:06:56 AM

colobobcat66 wrote:

That's not the way I read that section of Doc's comments at all. I took his comments as including a number of truths about the Ohio team, couched in the usual coach-speak. Once I filter out the Coach-speak, I get:
"Ohio is somewhat limited in what they can offensively this year because they have a real weak spot at tight end, where they lack the big powerful tight ends they have had in the past, and because they don't have their usual numbers of tight ends. As a result they can't run their usual 2-3 tight end sets, and are forced to try to get variety by using a lot more wide receivers".

Last Edited: 9/11/2014 9:11:29 AM by L.C.

�We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.� ― Epictetus

colobobcat66
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RE: Ohio Offensive Playbook

Posted: 9/11/2014 9:16:17 AM

L.C. wrote:

colobobcat66 wrote:

Thanks for the translation, I didn't quite get all of that like you did.

Valley Cat
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RE: Ohio Offensive Playbook

Posted: 9/11/2014 9:56:31 AM

Chase Cochran. 2 catches for an average of 7 yards. Defenses know he is the guy in the Ohio huddle that can kill you. So far nothing to shake him free. He has to be targeted more right? Get the ball in his hands.

OhioCatFan
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RE: Ohio Offensive Playbook

Posted: 9/11/2014 10:49:48 AM

Valley Cat wrote:

We went "plain vanilla" against KSU and UK. Frank's saving that double-reverse halfback pass to Cochran for Marshall. We always have a special secret playbook for this game! ;-)

The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA

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Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org

Brian Smith (No, not that one)
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RE: Ohio Offensive Playbook

Posted: 9/11/2014 10:54:10 AM

I really think this receiving corps will be good in MAC play. They aren't elite athletes, but in a conference where you get 10 yards of leeway space by undersized corners and you can run down the seams of the defense virtually uncovered, they're plenty good enough to make this a good pass offense.

I'm more worried about the running game.

L.C.
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RE: Ohio Offensive Playbook

Posted: 9/11/2014 2:33:19 PM

It's tough to win just throwing the ball. If they can get the run going, it will slow down the pass rushers, and force the dbs to respect the run, which will make passing the ball much easier.

Can they get the run going? Yes, I think so. Really, the problems I see are that the offensive line is young, and that there is a shortage of tight ends. I think both situations will improve as the year goes on.

�We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.� ― Epictetus

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