- Messages
- 19,127
- Reaction score
- 11,071
I wanted to try something a little bit different than the post-game thread. And since the most popular player on the ND roster is always the backup QB, I figured I could be a Tuesday Morning Backup Quarterback. It gives us the benefit of a hindsight view, separated from the emotions of both gameday and the immediate aftermath of a loss to a good team (this board is a MESS after a loss lol), and also allows us to pause/fast-forward/rewind.
A lot of places do this, and there are better football minds than me out there, but I'll try to highlight some plays that were either really good, really bad, or noteworthy for one reason or another.
I'll start with just the first half for now, as it's kind of a commitment for anyone that tries to watch the film.
1st Quarter
15:00 - Opening Kickoff - (0:01 in video)
- The only example of any part of this team NOT being ready to play is the opening kick return.
- Mason's return unit isn't prepared for Ohio State's directional kickoff. The front group of blockers allow two free rushers down the left side. The second group of blockers, who should be picking up these free coverage men, inexplicably split, letting both through with clean shots on Tyree. Front blockers are caught flat-footed, and the secondary 'wedge' doesn't have the cohesion to know who's getting who. Mason probably plays this clip 20 times in films this week.
14:55 - ND 1st and 10 - Ball at ND 15 - (0:41)
- It's a corner blitz vs an RPO. Buchner recognizes where he wants/needs to go immediately. If he delays at all, Ohio State's safety rushing in might have a pick-6. Instead, it's a huge play. Tommy and Buchner both get credit here for being ready out of the gate.
- Honestly surprised Styles wasn't running away from the defenders for a score on this play based on the burst we saw last year.
13:46 - ND 2nd and 7 - Ball at OSU 13 - (2:40)
- Estime subs off, Diggs and Tyree are on. Tyree goes in jet motion, while Diggs takes a handoff. This is obviously setting up future jet sweeps, reverses, screens, play-action passes, etc.
- Actually a friendly-ish box to run into... but Zeke somehow whiffs after initially getting engaged via a combo/chip with Kristoffic. A LB fills through the B-gap while Kristoffic and Alt are engaged with other defenders to help the DT with the tackle. Play is blown up. Diggs had a LB 1-on-1 if he were able to bounce outside, or back to the inside.
13:12 - ND 3rd and 9 - Ball at OSU 15 - (3:13)
- Buchner likes what he sees with OSU showing 6 flat across the line, no LB's, and checks into a designed QB draw, complete with motioning Tyree out to create more space by moving the safety.
- Ohio State called a double twist at the perfect time. Instead of the OL being able to invite the DL out-and-up, they twist right into the lanes Buchner was trying to create. The DB's come up to help, and the play is dead when Buchner has to try to bounce outside. Good call by the OSU DC, as even if this were a pass, the ND guards were both caught flat-footed by the simple stunt, and Buchner is likely pressured.
EDITOR'S NOTE: One drive in, and it appears the interior OL has an issue with moving their feet. Correll whiffed on a combo/chip (that shouldn't happen!) because he simply tried leaning on the DT. Even if it's an RPO and you don't want to drive down field, you still need to move your feet. Lugg and Kristoffic both struggled to follow the DE's around. Just a few steps slow from the OL against an athletic DL.
11:40 - OSU 1st and 10 - Ball at OSU 44 - (6:14)
- Howard Cross gets home for a sack on Stroud, though the entire pocket collapsed immediately after ND took away his first read. Liafau is there on a blitz if Cross doesn't win off the line with tremendous hand-replacement technique.
11:01 - OSU 3rd and 15 - Ball at OSU 39 - (7:26)
- ND plays at the sticks against a trips look on 3rd-and-long. Joseph and Hart are both there for a sure tackle immediately on the catch. The defense is READY.
EDITOR'S NOTE: ND follows with a 3-and-out after being pinned deep. Ohio State swarms to Buchner on a draw, and keeps Mayer in front of the sticks on third. The Buckeye defense is going to be really good and disciplined under Knowles.
7:06 - OSU 1st and 10 - Ball at OSU 46 - (14:00)
- Bama once blew ND's defensive minds with an odd orbit motion to DeVonta Smith in the CFP... he motioned into the backfield, looped wide back around his QB, and started the play from whence he came. Ohio State does the same thing with JSN here. But ND is ready for it, and punishes him with quality open-field play. THE DEFENSE IS STILL READY. It's clear that ND's physical Fall camp does have them a bit more ready to dish out punishment than Ohio State at this point.
5:44 - OSU 3rd and 6 - Ball at ND 31 - (17:03)
- After picking on Cam Hart for several plays, the dam breaks. Stroud makes a perfect throw to Egbuka's outside shoulder. Hart is actually in decent position to undercut the out-breaking route, as is Joseph. But Stroud puts it exactly where it needs to go to turn his guy outside and up the sideline for the score.
4:27 - ND 3rd and 4 - Ball at ND 31 (20:29)
- ND slides protection towards the gap where Eichenberg is showing blitz... but he's a human, not a robot, so he loops to the open space, as one does. Lugg is focused on helping Fisher, rather than checking his inside. Eichenberg gets home before Buchner even has a chance to scramble. Not good!
3:02 - OSU 3rd and 2 - Ball at OSU 36 (23:34)
- ND defense stays ready and 3rd-and-short, stuffing the Ohio State inside run. Liafau lined up outside on this play, crashing down, abandoning contain. Keep that in mind against mobile QB's in similar situations in the future?
2nd Quarter
15:00 - ND 3rd and 2 - Ball at ND 35 (27:42)
- The Salerno catch. ND dials up a shot coming out of the timeout (Buchner may have checked into it based on his pre-snap communication?). Salerno with elite concentration to bring it in after sticking his hand out on a hope and a prayer and popping it up as he was going down. No flag??? Hmmmm
14:32 - ND 1st and 10 - Ball at OSU 34 (28:54)
- Using an old-school slot formation, Bauman is the TE to the left, with Mayer in the slot between Bauman and Alt. They fake a toss to Tyree, and Bauman is wide open down the seam. I'm fairly certain Buchner threw this to his back shoulder on purpose, to keep him right in the middle of the open space, instead of leading him into the safety. Nice wrinkle from Tommy.
12:40 - ND 3rd and 2 - Ball at OSU 4 (30:50)
- 11 personnel with an empty backfield near the goal line. It's a WR screen to... Michael Mayer! He makes the catch and bowls over Eichenberg, who was working inside-out to get to the screen. Developing theme here with Mayer out wide catching screens.
12:00 - ND 1st and Goal - Ball at OSU 1 (32:07)
- GLORY. A FULLBACK DIVE FOR A TOUCHDOWN. ESTIME GOES UP AND OVER THE PILE AS THE FIRST MAN THROUGH LIKE IT'S THE EARLY 90's! Tommy's best call of the day, IMO. OSU simply wasn't ready for a first-man-through run. They didn't even submarine at the LOS.
10:58 - OSU 3rd and 3 - Ball at OSU 32 (36:35)
- ND disguises coverage and rolls Griffith towards Marvin Harrison, Jr., but he's too late getting over and OSU converts. OSU's drive would stall, but this play was important because it allowed OSU to once again flip the field, giving ND a longer field one drive after building some momentum.
5:50 - ND 3rd and 3 - Ball at ND 28 (43:05)
- Buchner has pressure in his face as he delivers to Mayer (once again out wide) on a quick out. An accurate throw is a first down, but he leaves it short and Mayer has no shot. He looked at the middle/right first, before working left to Mayer. Looking to Mayer immediately might have resulted in a first down, but you can't help the progression of the reads.
5:44 - ND 4th and 3 - Ball at ND 28 (46:15)
- Sot strikes back! The grad transfer flips the field himself, booming a punt past the returner. Coverage arrives as he has to retreat to field it, and OSU is starting inside their own 25, despite having pinned ND back earlier.
2:11 - OSU 2nd and 3 - Ball at ND 41 (50:11)
- OSU motions ND into a numbers disadvantage on the left side. If Henderson bounces the run outside immediately, he might score. Instead, the ND interior gets a push, THEN he bounces outside, and Brandon Joseph saves the day after a long OSU gain on the ground.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The ND run defense was great in the first half. They kept Henderson bottled up, and forced OSU to find something different to do... it just so happened to be that 'something different' was turning to an upperclassman who runs with a very angry style, which eventually chipped away at the ND front 7 in the second half.
1:24 - OSU 1st and 10 - Ball at ND 25 (51:00)
- Props to Clarence Lewis here. OSU takes a shot to the pylon, but Lewis is in a good trail position and gets his whole body turned to defend the pass once he realizes that the ball is arriving. Even if he didn't locate the ball, he was at least in a good enough position to avoid a pass interference flag.
0:47 - OSU 3rd and 6 - Ball at ND 21 (53:11)
- Stroud misses Egbuka moving into a vacant space . Just a bit off rhythm and late, to ND's benefit. HOWEVER... this is one of the more blatant pick plays you'll see. OSU has trips right, and 2 of 3 receivers just create a wall of ND defenders 6 yards down the field, not even trying to run routes, clearing out an underneath lane for Egbuka. I imagine this was designed for JSN, and is probably a TD if he's healthy and in the lineup.
0:36 - ND 1st and 10 - Ball at ND 21 (53:48)
- ND runs into the teeth of the OSU defense, as if they're content to run the clock out... but then Freeman decides to call a timeout and get aggressive. That's his first (and only, as far as I remember) rookie mistake from a game management standpoint.
0:28 - ND 2nd and 9 - Ball at ND 22 (55:02)
- The Lenzy play. He breaks off a deep route based on coverage, but Buchner throws it deep based on coverage... who was right? Probably both/neither. Just a miscommunication with a safety coming over to help on Lenzy a bit late. Lenzy appeared to break it off pretty early, but Buchner appeared committed to the deep throw early. Just need a few film sessions together, hopefully.
~Sot saves the day with another banger, and Day plays it cool instead of throwing one to the deep middle to try and steal another shot at a long field goal.
Random Notes:
- Xavier Watts sighted, seemed to be a sub against OSU's 'jumbo' package to combat their TE at certain times.
- Nana Osafo-Mensah played a lot of football, and played pretty well.
- Stroud looked uncomfortable at times, and was juuuuuust a bit off on some throws. Credit to ND's gameplan and execution, as well as physical play.
- I can't blame Freeman for smelling blood in the water and trying to get aggressive right before halftime, but he waited one play too long. Really the only obvious mismanagement to be seen.
- The team was READY. Despite the opening kick return getting stuffed, the offense and defense were both well prepared. No sluggishness, no deer-in-the-headlights, Freeman was communicating with everyone AND getting the refs ears when necessary.
- The team was READY. Yes, I repeat that, because there were several OSU players shown limping off or dealing with bumps and bruises. ND dictated the action physically in the first half. They were flying to the ball and arriving with bad intentions on defense, and Estime/Mayer were delivering blows to OSU defenders, rather than vise-versa.
- Just one half, and it's easy to be excited about how Freeman had his guys prepared physically and mentally. If Buchner progresses as a passer, and the OL can iron out some issues like they did last year, there's no reason the lack of WR's should hold the offense back if Rees is doing even an adequate job as a play caller. And on defense, it's easy to get excited when you realize they called on guys like Mickey and Morrison in key spots in the secondary... and it didn't go totally sideways against an elite receiver group, with or without JSN.
A lot of places do this, and there are better football minds than me out there, but I'll try to highlight some plays that were either really good, really bad, or noteworthy for one reason or another.
I'll start with just the first half for now, as it's kind of a commitment for anyone that tries to watch the film.
1st Quarter
15:00 - Opening Kickoff - (0:01 in video)
- The only example of any part of this team NOT being ready to play is the opening kick return.
- Mason's return unit isn't prepared for Ohio State's directional kickoff. The front group of blockers allow two free rushers down the left side. The second group of blockers, who should be picking up these free coverage men, inexplicably split, letting both through with clean shots on Tyree. Front blockers are caught flat-footed, and the secondary 'wedge' doesn't have the cohesion to know who's getting who. Mason probably plays this clip 20 times in films this week.
14:55 - ND 1st and 10 - Ball at ND 15 - (0:41)
- It's a corner blitz vs an RPO. Buchner recognizes where he wants/needs to go immediately. If he delays at all, Ohio State's safety rushing in might have a pick-6. Instead, it's a huge play. Tommy and Buchner both get credit here for being ready out of the gate.
- Honestly surprised Styles wasn't running away from the defenders for a score on this play based on the burst we saw last year.
13:46 - ND 2nd and 7 - Ball at OSU 13 - (2:40)
- Estime subs off, Diggs and Tyree are on. Tyree goes in jet motion, while Diggs takes a handoff. This is obviously setting up future jet sweeps, reverses, screens, play-action passes, etc.
- Actually a friendly-ish box to run into... but Zeke somehow whiffs after initially getting engaged via a combo/chip with Kristoffic. A LB fills through the B-gap while Kristoffic and Alt are engaged with other defenders to help the DT with the tackle. Play is blown up. Diggs had a LB 1-on-1 if he were able to bounce outside, or back to the inside.
13:12 - ND 3rd and 9 - Ball at OSU 15 - (3:13)
- Buchner likes what he sees with OSU showing 6 flat across the line, no LB's, and checks into a designed QB draw, complete with motioning Tyree out to create more space by moving the safety.
- Ohio State called a double twist at the perfect time. Instead of the OL being able to invite the DL out-and-up, they twist right into the lanes Buchner was trying to create. The DB's come up to help, and the play is dead when Buchner has to try to bounce outside. Good call by the OSU DC, as even if this were a pass, the ND guards were both caught flat-footed by the simple stunt, and Buchner is likely pressured.
EDITOR'S NOTE: One drive in, and it appears the interior OL has an issue with moving their feet. Correll whiffed on a combo/chip (that shouldn't happen!) because he simply tried leaning on the DT. Even if it's an RPO and you don't want to drive down field, you still need to move your feet. Lugg and Kristoffic both struggled to follow the DE's around. Just a few steps slow from the OL against an athletic DL.
11:40 - OSU 1st and 10 - Ball at OSU 44 - (6:14)
- Howard Cross gets home for a sack on Stroud, though the entire pocket collapsed immediately after ND took away his first read. Liafau is there on a blitz if Cross doesn't win off the line with tremendous hand-replacement technique.
11:01 - OSU 3rd and 15 - Ball at OSU 39 - (7:26)
- ND plays at the sticks against a trips look on 3rd-and-long. Joseph and Hart are both there for a sure tackle immediately on the catch. The defense is READY.
EDITOR'S NOTE: ND follows with a 3-and-out after being pinned deep. Ohio State swarms to Buchner on a draw, and keeps Mayer in front of the sticks on third. The Buckeye defense is going to be really good and disciplined under Knowles.
7:06 - OSU 1st and 10 - Ball at OSU 46 - (14:00)
- Bama once blew ND's defensive minds with an odd orbit motion to DeVonta Smith in the CFP... he motioned into the backfield, looped wide back around his QB, and started the play from whence he came. Ohio State does the same thing with JSN here. But ND is ready for it, and punishes him with quality open-field play. THE DEFENSE IS STILL READY. It's clear that ND's physical Fall camp does have them a bit more ready to dish out punishment than Ohio State at this point.
5:44 - OSU 3rd and 6 - Ball at ND 31 - (17:03)
- After picking on Cam Hart for several plays, the dam breaks. Stroud makes a perfect throw to Egbuka's outside shoulder. Hart is actually in decent position to undercut the out-breaking route, as is Joseph. But Stroud puts it exactly where it needs to go to turn his guy outside and up the sideline for the score.
4:27 - ND 3rd and 4 - Ball at ND 31 (20:29)
- ND slides protection towards the gap where Eichenberg is showing blitz... but he's a human, not a robot, so he loops to the open space, as one does. Lugg is focused on helping Fisher, rather than checking his inside. Eichenberg gets home before Buchner even has a chance to scramble. Not good!
3:02 - OSU 3rd and 2 - Ball at OSU 36 (23:34)
- ND defense stays ready and 3rd-and-short, stuffing the Ohio State inside run. Liafau lined up outside on this play, crashing down, abandoning contain. Keep that in mind against mobile QB's in similar situations in the future?
2nd Quarter
15:00 - ND 3rd and 2 - Ball at ND 35 (27:42)
- The Salerno catch. ND dials up a shot coming out of the timeout (Buchner may have checked into it based on his pre-snap communication?). Salerno with elite concentration to bring it in after sticking his hand out on a hope and a prayer and popping it up as he was going down. No flag??? Hmmmm
14:32 - ND 1st and 10 - Ball at OSU 34 (28:54)
- Using an old-school slot formation, Bauman is the TE to the left, with Mayer in the slot between Bauman and Alt. They fake a toss to Tyree, and Bauman is wide open down the seam. I'm fairly certain Buchner threw this to his back shoulder on purpose, to keep him right in the middle of the open space, instead of leading him into the safety. Nice wrinkle from Tommy.
12:40 - ND 3rd and 2 - Ball at OSU 4 (30:50)
- 11 personnel with an empty backfield near the goal line. It's a WR screen to... Michael Mayer! He makes the catch and bowls over Eichenberg, who was working inside-out to get to the screen. Developing theme here with Mayer out wide catching screens.
12:00 - ND 1st and Goal - Ball at OSU 1 (32:07)
- GLORY. A FULLBACK DIVE FOR A TOUCHDOWN. ESTIME GOES UP AND OVER THE PILE AS THE FIRST MAN THROUGH LIKE IT'S THE EARLY 90's! Tommy's best call of the day, IMO. OSU simply wasn't ready for a first-man-through run. They didn't even submarine at the LOS.
10:58 - OSU 3rd and 3 - Ball at OSU 32 (36:35)
- ND disguises coverage and rolls Griffith towards Marvin Harrison, Jr., but he's too late getting over and OSU converts. OSU's drive would stall, but this play was important because it allowed OSU to once again flip the field, giving ND a longer field one drive after building some momentum.
5:50 - ND 3rd and 3 - Ball at ND 28 (43:05)
- Buchner has pressure in his face as he delivers to Mayer (once again out wide) on a quick out. An accurate throw is a first down, but he leaves it short and Mayer has no shot. He looked at the middle/right first, before working left to Mayer. Looking to Mayer immediately might have resulted in a first down, but you can't help the progression of the reads.
5:44 - ND 4th and 3 - Ball at ND 28 (46:15)
- Sot strikes back! The grad transfer flips the field himself, booming a punt past the returner. Coverage arrives as he has to retreat to field it, and OSU is starting inside their own 25, despite having pinned ND back earlier.
2:11 - OSU 2nd and 3 - Ball at ND 41 (50:11)
- OSU motions ND into a numbers disadvantage on the left side. If Henderson bounces the run outside immediately, he might score. Instead, the ND interior gets a push, THEN he bounces outside, and Brandon Joseph saves the day after a long OSU gain on the ground.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The ND run defense was great in the first half. They kept Henderson bottled up, and forced OSU to find something different to do... it just so happened to be that 'something different' was turning to an upperclassman who runs with a very angry style, which eventually chipped away at the ND front 7 in the second half.
1:24 - OSU 1st and 10 - Ball at ND 25 (51:00)
- Props to Clarence Lewis here. OSU takes a shot to the pylon, but Lewis is in a good trail position and gets his whole body turned to defend the pass once he realizes that the ball is arriving. Even if he didn't locate the ball, he was at least in a good enough position to avoid a pass interference flag.
0:47 - OSU 3rd and 6 - Ball at ND 21 (53:11)
- Stroud misses Egbuka moving into a vacant space . Just a bit off rhythm and late, to ND's benefit. HOWEVER... this is one of the more blatant pick plays you'll see. OSU has trips right, and 2 of 3 receivers just create a wall of ND defenders 6 yards down the field, not even trying to run routes, clearing out an underneath lane for Egbuka. I imagine this was designed for JSN, and is probably a TD if he's healthy and in the lineup.
0:36 - ND 1st and 10 - Ball at ND 21 (53:48)
- ND runs into the teeth of the OSU defense, as if they're content to run the clock out... but then Freeman decides to call a timeout and get aggressive. That's his first (and only, as far as I remember) rookie mistake from a game management standpoint.
0:28 - ND 2nd and 9 - Ball at ND 22 (55:02)
- The Lenzy play. He breaks off a deep route based on coverage, but Buchner throws it deep based on coverage... who was right? Probably both/neither. Just a miscommunication with a safety coming over to help on Lenzy a bit late. Lenzy appeared to break it off pretty early, but Buchner appeared committed to the deep throw early. Just need a few film sessions together, hopefully.
~Sot saves the day with another banger, and Day plays it cool instead of throwing one to the deep middle to try and steal another shot at a long field goal.
Random Notes:
- Xavier Watts sighted, seemed to be a sub against OSU's 'jumbo' package to combat their TE at certain times.
- Nana Osafo-Mensah played a lot of football, and played pretty well.
- Stroud looked uncomfortable at times, and was juuuuuust a bit off on some throws. Credit to ND's gameplan and execution, as well as physical play.
- I can't blame Freeman for smelling blood in the water and trying to get aggressive right before halftime, but he waited one play too long. Really the only obvious mismanagement to be seen.
- The team was READY. Despite the opening kick return getting stuffed, the offense and defense were both well prepared. No sluggishness, no deer-in-the-headlights, Freeman was communicating with everyone AND getting the refs ears when necessary.
- The team was READY. Yes, I repeat that, because there were several OSU players shown limping off or dealing with bumps and bruises. ND dictated the action physically in the first half. They were flying to the ball and arriving with bad intentions on defense, and Estime/Mayer were delivering blows to OSU defenders, rather than vise-versa.
- Just one half, and it's easy to be excited about how Freeman had his guys prepared physically and mentally. If Buchner progresses as a passer, and the OL can iron out some issues like they did last year, there's no reason the lack of WR's should hold the offense back if Rees is doing even an adequate job as a play caller. And on defense, it's easy to get excited when you realize they called on guys like Mickey and Morrison in key spots in the secondary... and it didn't go totally sideways against an elite receiver group, with or without JSN.