Where’s Flex

[corchjay 5,311]

Anyone heard from @Malcolm_FleX48 wanted to see what weaknesses he sees in our O going into the weekend...

@bigbird and @1913-14 can chime in as well.  

[corchjay 5,311]

For our offense against their defense a lot will depend on how well we can run the ball.  We run and possess the ball we win.  We don’t and it’ll be a struggle to score enough.

Beyond that Stidham has played very well against the blitz.  It’s non-blitz pressure that has gotten him to hold the ball and take sacks.  He reads coverages and blitz well.  

Bama likes to blitz when not able to get pressure from their front.  They also blitz from both field and boundary now as opposed to almost exclusively from the field in years past.  To counter that you throw the bubble or the RB screen or go max protect and go over the top.  

Bama also like to play combo coverages man on one side zone on another.  Jarrett will have to identify at the snap.  Gus and Chip seem to do a good job of picking up and teaching these to their QBs.  The also play  a lot of matchup zone where the DB goes almost to man coverage when a WR enters his zone.  To attack this I have always gone to corner timing or curl routes.  Have to be careful on the curl routes against aggressive LBs because they can sometimes jump the route.  Which we can slow down with a good run game.  

The only out of the ordinary stuff I would do is try to isolate R. Davis or Hastings on a LB and try to hit a crossing/drag route but wait until they have cleared the middle of the field on the same side I ran a post with Slayton.  

Im not fond of throwing over the middle with Fitzpatrick playing centerfield unless we can really get him creeping up on the run and hit a pop pass to someone that sneaks by on a fake block Cox/Harris.  

Just a few things to look for in the game for everyone.

[bigbird 51,796]

This is a good start to understanding Saban's cover3/pattern match coverage scheme.

https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2014/12/46950/film-study-nick-sabans-pattern-matching-pass-defense?amp

Saban likes to align his corners in a “press-bail” technique. That is where they line up in a tight press man look and then at the snap will "bail" out into their deep zone. However, he really stresses “pattern matching” with his underneath defenders. This is what makes the coverage work: he drills into them the pass patterns they are most likely to face, and although they are in zone, they guard receivers like they are playing man. It allows the defender to carry the receiver through the zone while still being able to peel off and help.

Here is a good article on pattern matching

And here

This will sound simple, but we must be able to take advantage of their aggression and the match ups against their depleted LBs. We also need to stress their zones by having multiple receivers running in and through them.

Cover 3 is susceptible in three areas, seams, flats, and middle zone(behind backer and in front of safeties). Using specific Route combinations in our passing game will be key to beating bama.  Curl/flats, hitch/seams, levels, smash, China, floods, are all types that we will need to implement to take advantage of bama's coverage.

 

 

[AUpreacherman22 2,880]

4 hours ago, bigbird said:

Cover 3 is susceptible in three areas, seams, flats, and middle zone(behind backer and in front of safeties). Using specific Route combinations in our passing game will be key to beating bama.  Curl/flats, hitch/seams, levels, smash, China, floods, are all types that we will need to implement to take advantage of bama's coverage

These routes have been rare at AU with Malzahn. Serious question = Is there any hope we will see some of these routes on Saturday?

[AUcivE09 559]

5 minutes ago, AUpreacherman22 said:

These routes have been rare at AU with Malzahn. Serious question = Is there any hope we will see some of these routes on Saturday?

Coach mentioned the Bubble Screen =)

We have run some flats and curls, but I have not seen much else from those patterns.

[bigbird 51,796]

10 minutes ago, AUpreacherman22 said:

These routes have been rare at AU with Malzahn. Serious question = Is there any hope we will see some of these routes on Saturday?

50/50

[WDE_OxPx_2010 3,965]

37 minutes ago, bigbird said:

50/50

DOH

[AU64 10,122]

Seems that many folks want us to throw over the middle but that area is vulnerable to INTs unless the pass is perfect....

[DAG 29,674]

2 minutes ago, AU64 said:

Seems that many folks want us to throw over the middle but that area is vulnerable to INTs unless the pass is perfect....

You are correct. If it is there take it but quite frankly that area seems to be very congested. I am a little worried about our quick outs against Bama though. I hope to see a double move this weekend with how physical Bama DB's play

[AU64 10,122]

Just now, DAG said:

You are correct. If it is there take it but quite frankly that area seems to be very congested. I am a little worried about our quick outs against Bama though. I hope to see a double move this weekend with how physical Bama DB's play

Too often passes off the mark get popped up into the air and get picked....and bama is good at it.  We can't give them any help.

[DAG 29,674]

2 minutes ago, AU64 said:

Too often passes off the mark get popped up into the air and get picked....and bama is good at it.  We can't give them any help.

Fitzpatrick comes to mind. He is a wizard at it. To be honest, I can't complain. We are putting up 40 points like nobodies business and I think part of it was CGM and CCL figuring out how to mesh together. I just have a good feeling about this weekends game. 

[around4ever 4,133]

14 minutes ago, AU64 said:

Seems that many folks want us to throw over the middle but that area is vulnerable to INTs unless the pass is perfect....

You have to get the LBs to respect and play the run and the Safety either respects the run or creeps to either side to help out the CB on a WR.  

[Warbird82 160]

Honestly, I think we’ll need some help from the refs...they need to call a PI or two to get their DBs off of our receivers. They mug them all the time.

[corchjay 5,311]

2 hours ago, AUpreacherman22 said:

These routes have been rare at AU with Malzahn. Serious question = Is there any hope we will see some of these routes on Saturday?

The roll out by Stidham and come back on the side line has been effective to Slayton.  Any timing route will be effective but we haven’t always ran a lot of those.  

[bigbird 51,796]

44 minutes ago, corchjay said:

The roll out by Stidham and come back on the side line has been effective to Slayton.  Any timing route will be effective but we haven’t always ran a lot of those.  

I have wanted us to use a few more rollouts this year. Moving the pocket has been effective this year and Stidham can easily turn it into a true RPO.

[weagl1 1,671]

When a good QB and a good receiver are in sync with the back shoulder throw it is almost impossible to stop.  I wish our guys would work on that.  Corners must be scared to death of Slayton's speed by now and he could probably be deadly with the back shoulder move given his speed and Stidham's accuracy.  

[wareagleguy 1,298]

Flooding the zone and a throw back to a, dare I say it, TE! would be a nice wrinkle.

[AUpreacherman22 2,880]

3 hours ago, bigbird said:

50/50

I suppose I asked for it....?

[corchjay 5,311]

48 minutes ago, weagl1 said:

When a good QB and a good receiver are in sync with the back shoulder throw it is almost impossible to stop.  I wish our guys would work on that.  Corners must be scared to death of Slayton's speed by now and he could probably be deadly with the back shoulder move given his speed and Stidham's accuracy.  

Not a fixture in our offense but generally requires a different type WR.  Think 6’ 4” guys.  NCM could be that guy but Stidham and he need to work in the off season to really get good at where both make the correct read on the coverage. 

[1913-14 263]

9 hours ago, bigbird said:

This is a good start to understanding Saban's cover3/pattern match coverage scheme.

https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2014/12/46950/film-study-nick-sabans-pattern-matching-pass-defense?amp

Saban likes to align his corners in a “press-bail” technique. That is where they line up in a tight press man look and then at the snap will "bail" out into their deep zone. However, he really stresses “pattern matching” with his underneath defenders. This is what makes the coverage work: he drills into them the pass patterns they are most likely to face, and although they are in zone, they guard receivers like they are playing man. It allows the defender to carry the receiver through the zone while still being able to peel off and help.

This will sound simple, but we must be able to take advantage of their aggression and the match ups against their depleted LBs.

Cover 3 is susceptible in three areas, seams, flats, and middle zone(behind backer and in front of safeties). Using specific Route combinations in our passing game will be key to beating bama.  Curl/flats, hitch/seams, levels, smash, China, floods, are all types that we will need to implement to take advantage of bama's coverage.

 

 

I think Bird nails it on the head and is the key to success for our whole offensive attack; run multiple receivers(maybe out of a trips/bunch set) thru zones with a double move in the mix, play action to sway the safeties and hit the seams, run Slayton deep middle and drag under the safeties and behind the LBs(to the TE would be nice since it would be a wrinkle we haven't shown). That last concept is the same as Corchjay mentioned.These adjustments to our passing game will ease pressure on our run game.Last year we couldn't pass and they smothered our run...I am a big believer in self scouting and putting in wrinkles to break tendencies...WAR EAGLE