Rewatched clemson-OSU: notes and partial breakdown of critical points in game

First OSU red zone trip.

Te open on dig route back of ez(not by much but he had inside leverage as db was traling)-fields missed him.didn't see

Clemson cover 0- 6 man rush. 1 spy on fields on play above. fields threw incomplete to sideline. kicked FG


OSU second drive zone read TD dobbins on dive. Clemson in cover 2 man under with 6 in box. Makes 1 cut left and breaks safety’s ankles.

Lots of 6 man blitzes by Clemson.
Lbs for Clemson easily sucked in on zone reads and outside zone runs early on.

Overload blitz from wide side, fields escaped and ran for big gain. On that exact play the slot cb and lb on wide side of field blitzed. Slot wr was wide open on a corner route. Fields didn’t see him.
OSU. 2nd and 15. 7:33 left in second quarter Rb screen called CLEMSON was dead to rights. Dropped by dobbins. Woulda went up 20-0.

Clemson has basically rushed for diddley poo at 5 minute mark of second quarter. Ohio state good at getting off blocks.

3rd and 5. Trips on wide side. Wade blitzes from hash wide side. Two Clemson wr left uncovered momentarily. Wade crushed Lawrence for sack. OSU rolls safeties pre snap into cover 2. TL coulda made quick throw underneath. Doesn’t. Gets hammered.

Few plays later throws fade to wide side of field. Bailed out by DPI on OSU.

OSU completely wining at Los at this point. Clemson cannot run well at all.

2nd and 9. In red zone. TL has best run of night on a rollout scramble. 3rd and 2. Next play takes snap
Pitches to Etienne wide side. TL accounted for and hit as hit pitches. OSU has play completely strung out to boundary and Etienne contained. three blown tackles and Etienne scores a TD. OSU had them stopped.

OSU has done great job containing runs and limiting passes up to this point in time without much blitzing at all unlike Clemson.

2:05 mark of second quarter. OSU up 16-7

Again. Poor throws and catches by CLEMSON. Not impressed with TL long ball or intermediate throws. Very erratic.

Clemson at own 33 yard line. OSU brings blitz. Cover 1 man under. Blitzers get washed out to wide side. The A gap on short side looks like Moses parted the Red Sea. Terrible job of blitzers staying in lanes Tl tucks and runs. Jukes safety to the left breaking his ankles. Number 4 cb makes a half assed attempt to tackle and missed. Tl is off to the races. Number 5 chases but can’t catch. Gone. Td. 16-14 at half. Big mistake by Ryan day. Was doing great all game simply playing coverage and containing the run. They hadn’t blitzed hardly up to this point and now they blitzed and got torched.

Score close whilst CLEMSON was severely outplayed all half. Unreal watching this again.

Blown chances on O. bad reads by fields, missed tackles in red zone ( Etienne TD) and now a missed blitz (tl TD run) has gotten OSU where they are. Easily shoulda been around 23-3 at this point. 16-14 instead.


Second half


Deep shot by Clemson 10:33 mark of third. Nothing. OSU with great coverage again.
OSU defending quick horizontal stretch throws very well. More Inconsistent passing from TL to the boundaries. OSU stops drive. On punt it is roughing the kicker. Clemson given new life after OSU had them stopped. Wow.

CLEMSON breaks off nice 15 yard run by backup RB. 8:12 mark of third quarter. Ball at midfield. Next play. OSU cover 1 combo coverage. Man on outside. Zone inside. 4 man rush. Tl hits Etienne on screen to wide side. Lb reads and is washed out by OL. Etienne hits seam and is gone. Great downfield blocking by WRs.

7:47 in third quarter. Fields makes throw to wide side boundary, CLEMSON undercuts comeback route and drops an INT. Break for OSU. Two plays later Clemson in cover 1 man under. Brings another 6 man blitz. 6 on 6 blocking. Rb stays in to protect. All 4 receivers go too far. No check down or short route as a safety valve. Mlb fooled LG and went around c gap on wide side. Sacked fields. Looked just like a stunt would.

OSU now showing cover 2 Pre snap and rolling safety down after snap and changing to cover 1 post snap to give more help down low to watch those big run plays and screens to Etienne all coming out backfield. Still great job by OSU dbs on backend up to now.

5 minute mark of third quarter. 3rd and 19. CLEMSON throws complete short of first down ruled fumble and scoop and score by OSU. Overturned. Unreal.

Clemson punts


Fields becoming erratic. Failed last 5 third downs. Next play he’s picked off. Telegraphed to wide side boundary. Safety came over and grabbed it. Clemson tried wr tunnel screen and it’s eaten up by OSU. They were ready. Clemson has done nothing deep and is inconsistent throwing intermediate. All big plays have come from Clemsons backfield. Option pitch for TD. Tl run burning blitz. Screen to Etienee.

OSU finally blitzes again on third down. Sacked tl. Clemson punts at 1:42 mark of third quarter.

Fields finally converts third down. Hitting some shorter stuff to boundary to get him comfortable again. Hits dobbins on swing route for a first down. CLEMSON showed blitz but bailed.

OSU going back to up tempo like early in game. Fantastic decision. Nullifies Clemson’s ability to sub and does not give venables time to change play. Venables is great at countering offensive audibles from sideline.

Early
4th quarter.

OSU just inside CLEMSON 25 yard line. 11:46 on clock. 4th and 2 play action fake dive. Fields pulls back and hits slot wr on a post route for a TD. Everyone in clemsons BOX bit on run fake. Great inside leverage on db by WR. OSU up now 23-21

Clemson with ball now 3:01 left in game
Tl 10 yard run to short side. Terrible contain by OSU. Next play Tl throws to hole in zone. OSU was in cover 3. Best throw of night. OSU shoulda stayed in man that worked all game.
Next play fake run by Tl. Jump pass to Etienne on circle route again sucked in lbs gets behind them (worried about him/TL running again) and he takes it to the house for a TD.
The only safety was outrun to end zone couldn’t catch him even with angle pursuit. Deep dig route back of ez. Man coverage. 2 pointer good. 29–23.

1:49 left in game. OSU last chance.

OSU starts from 25. Clemson blitzes yet again. Rb Screen play to dobbins nice gain. 13 yards.
Next play no blitz hits dobbins on a swing route for 8 yards. 1:29 left.
Fields hits crossing route to CLEMSON 40 yard line. Torched blitz by Clemson. Clemson blitzed both lbs up middle. Next play fields hits dobbins again on swing route. 1:09 left.
Zone read fields gets nice gain. Scrambles again for another gain. Moving at will now.
Down to clemson 20 yard line.
Timeout with 43 seconds left.

2nd and 7. Fields throws to post. Wr came
Off route And went other way. Int. Ballgame.
29-23.