Wednesday's List: Plays I Want to See in 2008
March 04 2008 11:34 PM -- Filed in: Football
Wednesdays are boring. You have been at work for
a few days but you are still too far from the weekend
to get excited. In an attempt to spice things up in
the middle of the week, I am going to publish a
weekly list on Wednesdays. It may be 5 or 10 items
long, and it may not always be original, but it will
be here. If you have ideas for a list just click on
the 'contact' link above and shoot me an email.
I like Ohio State's offense. I like pro-style, play-action offenses and that is essentially what the Buckeyes run. That being said there are always a few plays I think Ohio State could run well. Over the years Tressel has done a nice job of saving new formations and plays for big games, especially Michigan. So, my first list is one of plays I would like to see inserted in the playbook.
1. Screen Pass: This is one of the most basic plays in the book and can be used aggressively or defensively. For 20 years I have watched Michigan run the screen pass to perfection, but chances are that is gone now with Rodriguez in Ann Arbor. The Buckeyes should steal it and keep it in the conferenc, which means they could run the bubble screen, middle screen, slot screen, or even the slip screen. Ohio State would put a lot of pressure on opposing defenses if Beanie slipped out of the backfield for a simple screen a couple of times a game. I think this would slow down their opponent's pass rush and make play-action more effective. I was praying for one against LSU.
2. Toss Sweep: Eddie George turned this play into an art form and Wells' skill set is remarkably similar to George's with his deceptive speed for a big guy. The Buckeyes started running this play more last year and I loved it every time. Beanie is a powerful inside runner but allowing him to get up to get a head of steam before encountering defenders makes him even more dangerous. His stiff arm allows him to break early tackles and hit full speed in the open field. We will certainly see it in 2008 but I can stand to see it have a larger role.
3. Rollout Pass: How many times do you see a quarterback take the snap on third and short, sprint to his right, and hit a receiver for a 4 yard gain and 1st down? It happens all the time in the NFL. Sometimes it appears virtually impossible to stop. Boeckman does not get a ton of credit for being mobile but he can move his feet well enough and his height enables him to view the field very well when he is out of the pocket. This play could be used on first down as well.
4. Direct Snap to Beanie: In the 5 or 6 games I watched Florida play last season the Gators faced a lot of third and short situations. Each time I saw that situation come up I looked at my friends and said, with the utmost confidence, "Shotgun snap to Tebow for a quarterback draw and a first down." While it may have happened, I cannot remember Tebow and the Gators failing to get the first down. My point is that if I knew it was coming, Florida's opponents knew it was coming and still could not stop it. Tebow may have won the Heisman, but he is a not a better runner than Beanie. I recognize the threat of a pass, in theory, keeps the linebackers from creeping up the line but I do not remember Tebow throwing it too much in those situations. So, next time the Buckeyes have 3rd and 2, line up Wells in the shotgun and have him plow straight ahead. Defenses may know it is coming, but I seriously doubt many will be able to stop it.
5. Wild Buck?: Okay, let's take this a step further (and, probably, too far). Arkansas' Wild Hog formation was devastating last season. I often questioned why they did not run that formation every play. Casey Dick should have been the change of pace, not the other way around. What would happen if Beanie lined up with Brandon Saine flanked to his side, took direct snaps, read the DEs, and operated accordingly. It is a brutally simple offense. There is only one read to make. I know what you are thinking, "McFadden could throw. Can Beanie?" Honestly, I doubt it. At least, not as well as McFadden. One other drawback is that Wells does not have that burst of speed that McFadden does but I think his power can overcome that to some degree. I am not advocating the Buckeyes go with this formation full time but I think this would be effective a couple of times per game.
I like Ohio State's offense. I like pro-style, play-action offenses and that is essentially what the Buckeyes run. That being said there are always a few plays I think Ohio State could run well. Over the years Tressel has done a nice job of saving new formations and plays for big games, especially Michigan. So, my first list is one of plays I would like to see inserted in the playbook.
1. Screen Pass: This is one of the most basic plays in the book and can be used aggressively or defensively. For 20 years I have watched Michigan run the screen pass to perfection, but chances are that is gone now with Rodriguez in Ann Arbor. The Buckeyes should steal it and keep it in the conferenc, which means they could run the bubble screen, middle screen, slot screen, or even the slip screen. Ohio State would put a lot of pressure on opposing defenses if Beanie slipped out of the backfield for a simple screen a couple of times a game. I think this would slow down their opponent's pass rush and make play-action more effective. I was praying for one against LSU.
2. Toss Sweep: Eddie George turned this play into an art form and Wells' skill set is remarkably similar to George's with his deceptive speed for a big guy. The Buckeyes started running this play more last year and I loved it every time. Beanie is a powerful inside runner but allowing him to get up to get a head of steam before encountering defenders makes him even more dangerous. His stiff arm allows him to break early tackles and hit full speed in the open field. We will certainly see it in 2008 but I can stand to see it have a larger role.
3. Rollout Pass: How many times do you see a quarterback take the snap on third and short, sprint to his right, and hit a receiver for a 4 yard gain and 1st down? It happens all the time in the NFL. Sometimes it appears virtually impossible to stop. Boeckman does not get a ton of credit for being mobile but he can move his feet well enough and his height enables him to view the field very well when he is out of the pocket. This play could be used on first down as well.
4. Direct Snap to Beanie: In the 5 or 6 games I watched Florida play last season the Gators faced a lot of third and short situations. Each time I saw that situation come up I looked at my friends and said, with the utmost confidence, "Shotgun snap to Tebow for a quarterback draw and a first down." While it may have happened, I cannot remember Tebow and the Gators failing to get the first down. My point is that if I knew it was coming, Florida's opponents knew it was coming and still could not stop it. Tebow may have won the Heisman, but he is a not a better runner than Beanie. I recognize the threat of a pass, in theory, keeps the linebackers from creeping up the line but I do not remember Tebow throwing it too much in those situations. So, next time the Buckeyes have 3rd and 2, line up Wells in the shotgun and have him plow straight ahead. Defenses may know it is coming, but I seriously doubt many will be able to stop it.
5. Wild Buck?: Okay, let's take this a step further (and, probably, too far). Arkansas' Wild Hog formation was devastating last season. I often questioned why they did not run that formation every play. Casey Dick should have been the change of pace, not the other way around. What would happen if Beanie lined up with Brandon Saine flanked to his side, took direct snaps, read the DEs, and operated accordingly. It is a brutally simple offense. There is only one read to make. I know what you are thinking, "McFadden could throw. Can Beanie?" Honestly, I doubt it. At least, not as well as McFadden. One other drawback is that Wells does not have that burst of speed that McFadden does but I think his power can overcome that to some degree. I am not advocating the Buckeyes go with this formation full time but I think this would be effective a couple of times per game.
