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| New Ohio State offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien brings a wealth of experience |
He called plays for Georgia Tech and Duke in the early and mid-2000s and for Alabama in 2021 and 2022, and had two stints with the NFL’s New England Patriots. When he has had high-end talent, his offenses have been very good, and that’s because he has experience and creativity in his play sequencing. At Alabama, especially, his use of motion and formations would build complementary plays into their sequencing, which led to a 40.5 PPG average over two seasons, as well as finishing eighth (2021) and fifth (2022) in Yards Per Play, adjusted for garbage time.
Most of the references here will be to Alabama, as it was the most recent college offense O’Brien has been responsible for. He uses the same pre-snap motion to set up different play designs, and showing the defense the same motion by the tight end sets up the subsequent plays, with the defense trying to adjust to the previous scheme that was run out of the same look. Running complementary plays out of the same formation to put defenses in a bind is something experienced play-callers have a knack for, giving the offense continuity.
O’Brien may not throw the ball deep as often as some, preferring to win with the passing game over the middle portion of the field. His passing system is timing-based, and is unlocked by playing matchups and attacking space that he knows will be there based on coverages. He also likes to add in the element of tempo, which makes it even tougher on defenses, who already have enough to think about with different plays being run out of the same formations and with the same motion.
Look for Will Howard to be in a lot of empty formations, as O’Brien will want him to have a myriad of options pre-snap and answers against any coverage.
Where a lot of coordinators tell a quarterback to go through progressions from deep to shallow, O’Brien goes from vertical to horizontal. If it’s a left-to-right progression, the verts will be on the left and the horizontals on the right.
He does a lot of scheming tight ends open, which should do wonders for a position that until very recently has had great talent but has not utilized it. O’Brien can get his tight ends open with nub formations (having the tight end be the farthest outside player), and he will also use a lot of 12 personnel. He also isn’t afraid to use 11 and 10, the latter especially when he has an abundance of playmakers at his disposal.
Alabama's run-pass options often had the pass option include downfield routes -- slants or seam routes. With the inside zone run-action pulling the linebacker level out of the passing lane, the quarterback can hit the slant in-stride to create explosive plays. O’Brien will have a more expansive RPO package, and motion will help shape all of it. He will also go downfield out of RPO sets.
The Buckeyes have what looks to be the nation’s best backfield with TreVeyon Henderson and Ole Miss transfer Quinshon Judkins, and people will be dying to see them on the field at the same time. Based on his history, that doesn’t look very likely to happen, unless Henderson is set out as a receiver and Judkins is behind Howard.
O'Brien's system has always been more one-back runs with multiple tight ends. That could mean utilizing the tight end as a flexible in-line or off-the-line blocker, and he has built his rushing attack off the abilities of the quarterback (DeShaun Watson in Houston and Bryce Young at Alabama). He was able to strike a balance in play calls at Alabama, with 1,005 runs and 1,009 passes in his two seasons.
The hire by Day may lack flash but given O’Brien’s recent history and his ability to get playmakers out in space and not put such a heavy load on the quarterback from a read standpoint, it would be wise for fans to at least see how things look before throwing up their hands in disgust.
