The general view across sports networks, social media, and water coolers alike, seems to be that Notre Dame will have its hand's full trying to shut down a very explosive and very balanced Ohio State offense. I wouldn't argue too hard with that assessment.
Photo by The Irish Tribune
After all, OSU has been blowtorching opponents throughout the course of the CFP to the tune of just under a twenty point average winning margin. Ohio State QB Will Howard has come alive since the Michigan game, what was once a makeshift offensive line due to some injuries started to gel at the right time, and freshman phenom wide receiver Jeremiah Smith has been the star of the postseason. They have two outstanding running backs, another couple of pass catchers that would be number one options for many other teams, and a play-caller with plenty of experience who is known for his creativity in getting his playmakers involved. So you can see why many prognosticators have decided to count Notre Dame out before the opening coin toss, but is it all doom and gloom for the Fighting Irish as they get ready to enter their first National Championship since the 2012 season?
In 1991, the New York Giants took on the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl 25. Buffalo was loaded with offensive talent that year. Jim Kelly threw for nearly 4,000 yards, two of his receiver's had over 1,000 yards each, and running back Thurman Thomas, rushed for over 1,400. Vegas installed Buffalo as a 7-point favorite, with the consensus being that the offense was just too good to be stopped. The Giants defensive coordinator at the time was none other than the legendary Bill Belichick. Belichick's game plan, which is now displayed in the Hall of Fame, was a pick your poison approach rather than trying to shut everything down at once. He informed his defensive players their best course of action for that particular match up was to purposely concede yards in the running game in an effort to limit one of the most dangerous passing attacks in the league. The short of it, is the Giants held Buffalo to 19 points and captured the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in their franchise's history. How does that relate to Notre Dame and their upcoming matchup? Simply this, pick an area to attack, attack it with everything you have left in the tank, and let the National Championship chips fall where they may.
I've watched countless snaps of the OSU offense, I am fully aware of the threats they pose at all levels of the field, but this is how I would choose to try to defend the Buckeyes in the biggest game of the year.
Coverage Options
No team can run the same coverage every snap of the game. They may have a general idea of how they want to attack certain teams, but so many things are dependent on personnel and alignments. A team may favor rolling out a Dime defense to get extra defensive backs on the field to defend the pass, but if the offense continuously comes out in 13 personnel (1 running back, 3 tight ends) the defense will have to adjust to account for the bigger bodies on the field. This is about choosing defensive packages that you can fall back on throughout the course of the game and in big moments knowing it'll be your best chance to get a stop.
Cover 2
The idea of playing Cover 2, and having two safeties deep to limit big vertical plays is tempting when facing a team like Ohio State. Michigan had success and pulled off a huge upset victory vs Ohio State using almost exclusively Cover 2 Zone. That spawned other teams to attempt the same game plan, but OSU has done a good job adjusting throughout the course of the playoffs and Will Howard has become very adept when attacking the middle of the field, which is the biggest soft spot in a Cover 2. One of the biggest advantages Notre Dame has utilized all year, is the playmaking ability of their safeties in run support and in underneath coverage. Xavier Watts is an All-American for a reason and will need to make his presence felt if Notre Dame hopes to pull out a victory. Relegating him to deep halves coverage not only removes Notre Dame's best ball hawk from his Robber position which he has thrived in all season, but it also creates a very light box for Ohio State to run against. Jeremiah Smith and company will be the least of the Irish's concerns if OSU is picking up five to six yards every time they hand the ball off. Penn State did a good job of getting push against Notre Dame's front in the Orange Bowl, and ND will need to be much more sound in that area this time around.
Cover 1 Variations
Cover 1 has undoubtedly been Notre Dame's bread and butter defensively all season long. Many talking heads would lead you to believe that Notre Dame can not possibly play the very coverage that helped elevate them to the National Championship, because Ohio State has too many weapons at their disposal to play man across the board. I think the opposite is true. I would play to your strengths. I think just as dangerous as Jeremiah Smith, is wide receiver Emeka Egbuka. Ohio State loves to work him out of the slot, and he has been a mismatch nightmare. With so many teams playing a safety over the top of Jeremiah Smith, Egbuka has made a living in the middle of the field, and I actually believe he is the number one threat Notre Dame should worry about. Cover 1 would help in this department for a variety of reasons. In a Cover 1 Robber look, vs a 2x1 receiver set, the linebacker/nickel lined up over Egbuka (or whoever is in the slot) could play with inside leverage and funnel everything to the "Robber" which in most cases would be Watts. Watts is the best safety in the country when it comes to reading and reacting to those in-breaking routes. With Egbuka accounted for, the single high safety could shade to Jeremiah Smith's side, which would leave Leonard Moore as a true one on one defender on the outside. The All-American Freshman has given me no reason to believe he can not hold up in that situation. The safety rolling down would also give you an extra body to fit the run, and potentially chase down Will Howard when he chooses to use his legs on option plays or when breaking the pocket. Cover 1 Lurk is a variation that would involve the safety that rolls down to play man coverage as well, but this is very susceptible against crossing patterns and rub routes. Additionally, with everyone's back turned in man coverage, if the front four does not get home in the run game it could lead to a big play on the ground.
Cover 3 Variations
Cover 3, as it's name implies, calls for three deep defenders, all responsible for a third of the field. It helps protects against some vertical shots on the outside, and uses four underneath defenders to try to help take away the short and intermediate game. In a traditional Cover 3, the seams become hard to defend and the flats and short outside areas become exposed with the corners bailing deep, making this an iffy concept to use against a team like Ohio State. Aside from being a vertical threat, Jeremiah Smith also gets used in the short game a bunch. Ohio State will motion him across the line of scrimmage on quick throws in an attempt to let him outflank the defense and turn short throws into game changing plays like he did vs Oregon in the Rose Bowl. Trying to rely on a safety or linebacker to get outside and beat him to the flats is a tough ask. In a Cover 3 "Cloud" look, the corner would jam and play the flats, which could alleviate some of those issues, but the safety ends up rolling into the deep third zone to replace him which presents the same problem as the Cover 2 - having your playmaking safeties both bailing deep and limiting their ability to effect things underneath.
There are obviously additional coverage methods like Cover 4, and Cover 6, but those are not the type of formations you run as a base, and I don't think Notre Dame would benefit much from overutilizing them.
Personnel Considerations
No matter what coverage look a team decides to run, the personnel package they use it from is just as important. When I review a team like Ohio State, I think Notre Dame would be best suited living in Nickel, specifically a 4-2-5 (4 defensive linemen, 2 linebackers, and 5 defensive backs). With having an extra defensive back on the field, Notre Dame will have to live with OSU being able to pick up some yardage on the ground, but coverage wise it gets all your play makers on the field at once. Nickelback Jordan Clark, I believe, is going to play a huge role in this game. As mentioned above, Emeka Egbuka, working from the slot position, has the potential to change the game. Clark will more times than not be responsible for him, and if he does his job well, Notre Dame will be in good shape. As far as linebackers go, you need your best athletes on the field for a game like this. Drayk Bowen has proven his ability to play coverage from his linebacking spot, and Jaylen Sneed has true sideline to sideline speed which would account for the two LB spots. On the defensive line, I would have my front attacking the "A Gaps". Pressure up the middle has led to some errant throws by Will Howard over the course of the year, and if Notre Dame wants to win the turnover battle, the key will be forcing a few more.
Overall Defensive Choice
If it isn't broke, don't fix it. I would continue to roll with a Cover 1 look, and not buy into the hype that Jeremiah Smith is a one man wrecking crew. A lot of situations on film of Ohio State making big plays was due to poor execution from the defenses they were facing more than it was a talent disparity. This is obviously not to say Ohio State is not a dangerous offense, because they are. Notre Dame however, is one of the rare teams equipped to neutralize a lot of their strengths. The secondary has played with unique cohesion, and its helped pave the way for a unforgettable season. Because of how often teams have played a Cover 2 against Ohio State, I would love to see Al Golden show a Cover 2 shell, and roll a safety down late to get into his famous 1-Robber look. Let Will Howard feel like he is facing the same type of defense he has seen so many times as of late, and force him to adjust post snap. If Notre Dame can get the proper push up the middle and speed up Howard's processing, I know there are turnovers to be had. Getting hands on receivers at the line of scrimmage and rerouting them will also help throw off the timing of plays. A lot will, and should, be asked of the Fighting Irish's dynamic duo at cornerback once again, but they have not backed down from a challenge yet.
Teams do not make the National Championship by mistake. They identify their strengths early in the season, and continue to cultivate them throughout. Just as the NIU loss was a turning point for Notre Dame, the Michigan loss for Ohio State, albeit much later in the season, really woke them up and has them playing their best football when they need it the most. Just because Notre Dame has been the best in the country against the pass, doesn't mean Ohio State is suddenly going to become a triple option team, no more than Ohio State's potent pass offense means ND should change the way they have been winning games all year long. This will be a true good on good match up, and I think all Notre Dame has to do to have a shot, is be themselves.
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I love it !funny how yesterday I was thinking about the 07 giants and how they beat the juggernaut of the New England patriots and how similar the giants run was that year to this team, almost identical.