Click on any link to find full contents: National Title Offense & National Title Defense
History in the making! The first-ever 12-team playoff ends tonight with a showdown no one saw coming: #7 Ohio State vs #8 Notre Dame. Both teams fought their way here, proving the new format works – you’ve got to earn it on the field.
Let’s dive into what makes these teams tick.
Meet the Fighting Irish
Mike Denbrock runs Notre Dame’s offense like a Swiss Army knife – they can beat you any way they want. Their “Copy” play shows exactly what makes this offense special. It looks simple, but here’s the clever part: receivers can swap roles, different players can run the same routes, and they can run it from any formation. Best of all? Players don’t need to learn a ton of new stuff to make it work.
CLICK HERE to watch: Copy Film Breakdown
Jeremiyah Love leads their ground game, breaking tackles and giving defenses headaches. Add in some tricky RPOs and talented tight ends who can block and catch, and you’ve got a nightmare to defend.
CLICK HERE to watch: Copy vs 3 Down
But what about their defense? They’ve got some of the best coverage guys in college football – they’ll pick you off if you’re not careful. Just one problem: when teams can run the ball, the Irish sometimes struggle to stop them. That puts a lot of pressure on linebacker coach Max Bullough and his crew to stop Ohio State’s running backs.
CLICK HERE to watch: LB Run Footwork
Here Come the Buckeyes
CLICK HERE to watch: Install #1
Jim Knowles and Matt Guerrieri have turned Ohio State’s defense into something special. Their safeties do it all – cover, blitz, you name it. Up front, their defensive line just wreaks havoc.
CLICK HERE to watch Jim Knowles – Linebacker Fundamentals
But here’s what’s really cool: they started simple in spring and summer, teaching the basics. Now they can get crazy with it – moving guys around, disguising coverages, and letting players get creative. As Knowles puts it, they’re “playing offense on defense.”
CLICK HERE to watch Jim Knowles Ohio State – Playing Offense On Defense
Don’t forget about Ohio State’s offensive line though. They’ve stepped up big time in the playoffs, giving Will Howard time to throw his best passes of the year. But here’s the real key to tonight’s game: if TreVeyon Henderson or Quinshon Judkins gets rolling, and Chip Kelly can start finding space for Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka, Notre Dame could be in for a long night.
CLICK HERE to watch Drive Block Progression
The Bottom Line
Tonight’s game should be a classic. Ohio State brings the explosiveness, with an O-line that can dominate. Notre Dame counters with lockdown coverage and an offense that can hit you from anywhere.
Want to learn more about these schemes? Check out our coaching clinic bundles for both offense and defense – they’ll show you exactly how these teams make it all work.
Get ready for an epic battle between two teams that know how to coach and know how to play. This one’s going to be fun!
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