COLUMBUS — As Ohio State prepares for its Big Ten opener against Illinois, let’s take a look at a key play from last week’s 59-3 win against Kent State.
The Setup
Third-and-12 from the Kent State 12-yard line with 8:39 left in the second quarter and Ohio State ahead 28-0.
The Personnel
The Buckeyes adjusted to keep their base nickel personnel on the field in most passing situations against Kent State because the Golden Flashes got into the habit of running on third-and-long.
This is an obvious passing situation, but OSU stays in its 4-2-5 structure with Jaylen McClain and Earl Little at safety, Jay Timmons at star, Jermaine Mathews and Devin Sanchez at cornerback, and Christian Alliegro and Riley Pettijohn at linebacker. Up front, James Smith and Jason Moore are at defensive tackle, while Epi Sitanilei and Beau Atkinson are at defensive end.
The Formation
The Buckeyes show a two-high shell pre-snap with McClain and Little manning the deep halves. They also show a four-down front with both Alliegro and Pettijohn playing in the box. Alliegro joins the front late, and Little rotates to the deep middle right before the ball is snapped.
The Offense
Kent State is in a shotgun spread set with two receivers and a tight end to the wide side of the field and one receiver in the boundary.