Breaking Down the 2023 Ohio Bobcats' Defensive Playbook: 5 & 6-Man Pressures

Uncover the key defensive tactics that powered the Ohio Bobcats' success in 2023, with a focus on their innovative 5 and 6-man pressure schemes.

The Ohio Bobcats were a top defense in 2023, ranking 4th nationally in total defense among other stats. In part 1 of this series we broke down the Bobcats stunts and simulated pressures. Here, in part 2, we break down their 5- and 6-man pressures including firezones and hot pressures. Let’s get into it!

5-Man Pressures

Ohio does a great job of being multiple with paths, and this doesn’t change with their 5-man pressures. They pair these paths with firezone cover 3, cover 1, and quarters. They also, as a changeup, take these 5-man paths and combine them with the stunts we talked about in part 1 of this series on the Bobcats defense. For the most part, Ohio brought these pressures on long downs, knowing they were likely to  see pass or draw. 

The first 5-man pressure we’re looking at from  Ohio is another X pressure with 3-under, 3-deep coverage. The X path is designed to pick on the center and create pressure through the A gap immediately. On this play, Georgia Southern releases the back, which means the pressure comes clean and immediately creates pressure on the quarterback. The quarterback tries to throw the dig route behind the underneath player, which results in an interception. 

The next 5-man pressure is another firezone, but this time Ohio will bring the nickel and run a 3-man twist. The Bobcats create a lot of flow in one direction forcing the quarterback right into the nose, who is wrapping. Unfortunately, the nose is unable to make the play, and the quarterback completes the pass for a first down. While this play doesn’t go down as a success in the stat column, Ohio created a free hitter versus the quarterback which is every coach’s goal when designing pressures.

Ohio’s next 5-man pressure is what God would call if he was a defensive coordinator, a cornerback firezone pressure. Not only can this be a great pass pressure, it can also be a great run pressure. In this case, the Bobcats run it versus Buffalo on zone insert, and since the offense doesn't account for the corner in run fits, it becomes an easy TFL for the corner.  

This next pressure involves a mugged backer and two different stunts/twists. With a mugged backer, Ohio will run a 3-man twist on one side while the tackle and defensive end will run a pick on the other side as well. This creates tremendous pressure up the middle on the quarterback. However, the defensive tackle to the field doesn’t get the edge set, allowing the quarterback to slide away from pressure and complete a pass for the first down. Like many other pressures, this becomes a combination of two of Ohio’s stunts, with a linebacker involved, and cover 1 behind it.

The last 5-man pressure we’re going to cover is a staple of many defenses: the Will inserting in the weak B gap along with a NOT stunt. Buffalo does a good job of picking up the pressure, but the 3-under, 3-deep coverage creates a tight window for the throw, and ultimately, the nickel deflects the pass. 

To see a full cutup on Ohio’s 5-man pressures click here.

6-Man Pressures

Ohio overwhelmingly preferred to bring 6-man pressure on early downs, mainly 1st down from my research. The thought process is that 6-man hot pressures are also great run blitzes, so early downs are the best time to run them. As for the paths, this might be Ohio’s smallest set of pressures. They run a version of X pressure and America’s pressure. They can still change where the X Dog hits, but it’s mostly these two pressures with hot coverage behind it. 

If you want to learn more about Hot Coverage, consider reading about it on MatchQuarters.com where Cody Alexander does a great job breaking it down in several articles. 

Our first 6-man pressure is the X pressure we talked about above. Ohio makes this version, against Miami (OH), look slightly more exotic by running the buzzed safety to the post and dropping the other post safety to the hot zone. Miami (OH) tries to run four verts, and the deep crosser gets open, but it’s too late as the pressure gets to the quarterback for a sack. 

The Bobcats next 6-man pressure involves the Nickel and the Mike on an interior path through A and B gaps. Again this pressure is paired with hot coverage, this time with the sky safety and the Will linebacker. The quarterback is rushed and takes a shot on the deep post, which is blanketed by the post player. 

Our last 6-man pressure is America's path, or two off the edge. The end and nose stick, while the Mike and Will linebackers come off the edge. Georgia Southern tries to run a gap scheme protection, and the pressure is just too much for it, resulting in a strip sack for the Bobcats. 

To see a full cutup on Ohio’s 6-man pressures click here.

Conclusion

The Ohio Bobcat defense does a fantastic job generating pressure, especially on 2nd- or3rd-and-long situations. Their ability to mix and match paths and defensive line stunts is a master class on teaching complex ideas to your players. I’d love to hear how they teach these concepts as I believe that’s the secret sauce for their defensive success. They are multiple, aggressive, and fast to the football. 

To see a full cutup on Ohio’s 5-man pressures click here.
To see a full cutup on Ohio’s 6-man pressures click here.

If you have any questions about this article or any other football questions, please reach out to us at TheBoardDrillPodcast@gmail.com or DM us on X (formerly known as Twitter) @BoardDrillPod.