Texas Film Room: How Texas Shut Down the Buckeyes in Crunch-Time

After surrendering 20 points and 240 yards on 6.2 yards per play to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first half of last Saturday's game, the Texas Longhorns locked them down to the tune of just three points,129 yards, and 4.6 yards per play in the second.

The feat is the first feather in new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp's cap, finally achieving what his predecessor, Pete Kwiatkowski, failed to do in each of the previous two seasons. While the unit was not perfect, Muschamp deserves credit for the halftime adjustments he made.

Here is how those changes helped deliver Texas one of the biggest wins of head coach Steve Sarkisian's tenure.

The Longhorns Late-Game Defensive Plan

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and Texas Longhorns defensive back Bo Mascoe — Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith cannot make a catch against Texas Longhorns defensive back Bo Mascoe during the second half | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One of the biggest adaptations the Longhorns made was an increased packing of the box on early downs, out-manning the Buckeyes up front to stuff the run. Muschamp's favorite way to do this was the 'Penny' front, which places a nose tackle head-up with the center, a defensive end over each offensive tackle, and an outside linebacker outside both ends.

They did this while usually maintaining a two-high shell to reduce Ohio State's explosive plays, especially those from wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Here is an example of a two-high penny look:

Texas Longhorns Football — 1st & 10 at TEX 30 - 9:05 3rd Quarter | Carter Long

The Buckeyes lineup in a 2x2 set before motioning their tight end into the backfield. Texas does not react much, save WILL linebacker Raheem Biles walking up to the line of scrimmage. The penny front Texas is in is meant to out-gap offenses on outside runs and force everything back to free MIKE linebacker Justin Cryer.

Ohio State attempts to defy this by calling a steep outside-zone split run with the offensive line, save the right tackle, moving left while the running back, Bo Jackson, looks to attack that outside edge or hit a cut-back lane for a big gain. The tight end and right tackle block the backside end and SAM, opening yet another cut-back lane.

Nose tackle Hero Kanu spoils this plan by getting in front of the right guard and cutting off any hope for Jackson to get to the outside edge. He is instead forced to cut right behind that guard and into the waiting arms of Cryer, who wraps Jackson up for no gain.

The increased number of box defenders for Texas helped keep Cryer free to make the play that immediately, paying off Muschamp's shift in philosophy.

Muschamp also adjusted his third-down plan by getting more exotic. Take this play for example:

On this third-and-10, Texas is using a two-high shell and an 'overload' front, so-called because it places both the nose and defensive tackle on the same side of the center to create an overload on that side of the offensive line.

Ohio State overcompensates for this by sliding all but one offensive lineman to that right 'overload' side and utilizing chip-and-releases from both their tight end and running back.

Texas calls a stunt in which the nose and defensive tackles crash outside while edge rusher Brad Spence loops around both of them to try to create interior pressure on Buckeyes passer Julian Sayin. Ohio State is able to pick up the stunt with the four-and-a-half blockers they dedicate to it; however, they leave Colin Simmons one-on-one with the left tackle and full license to pin his ears back and take the easiest route to Sayin.

That tackle holds up surprisingly well; however, Simmons is still able to push the pocket and get Sayin off-balance. That uneasiness was all Muschamp needed, as he also used a disguised coverage to throw the junior quarterback off of his game.

Despite showing a two-deep shell, Texas actually spun their strong safety down to the middle hook to run spot-drop cover three. This coverage has a weakness in the seam between that middle-hook and the center-field safety, which the Buckeyes have a route running right into.

However, due to the confusing way Texas set up that coverage, the increased unpredictability of the overload front, and the looming pressure from Simmons, Sayin never sees this wide-open man, his eyes instead glued to the blanketed Smith.

While these schemes are sound, they also required Muschamp to have a lot of faith in his guys. Nowhere was that more so the case than on this third-and-four play.

Texas showed straight man-coverage across the board on this play, something Ohio State confirmed when they motioned their slot receiver across the field and nickelback Graceson Littleton followed him the whole way. They also overloaded the left side of the offensive line, walking up Biles and Cryer near the line of scrimmage.

This time Muschamp's stunt sends Biles, Cryer and defensive end Lance Jackson outside with edge rusher Zina Umeozulu looping inside. Ohio State has four blockers to block these four rushers, however the complicated loop confuses the running back and allows Umeozulu to get quick pressure on Sayin.

As good as the blitz was, Muschamp was putting a lot of faith in his defensive backs to hold up one-on-one. Bo Mascoe had a particularly difficult job, playing tight coverage on Smith, who finished the day with eight catches for 164 yards and two touchdowns.

Mascoe comes up with the stop, ending the Buckeyes' drive quickly.

Muschamp's schematic evolution should be praised; however, the players who executed it should not be forgotten. The Longhorns were able to shut down the Buckeyes in the second half by trusting their defenders to execute more complicated plays and hold up one-on-one; if they maintain that confidence, they will make a serious national title run.

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