Inside the Hoosiers’ Run Defense in the B1G Championship

I tried to tell everyone how good Indiana’s defense was way back before the Oregon game, but not many listened. But here we are and the Hoosiers put their defensive prowess on display by holding the reigning National Champions to 10 points in the B1G title game. In part 1 of this 2 part series we’ll cover how Indiana slowed down the Ohio State run game by playing exceptional up front.

Stopping the run

Let’s get this out of the way: Indiana wasn’t flawless against the run. Ohio State had their moments, and they probably should have leaned on the run game more. But the key is that Indiana got stops when it mattered. On early downs, they forced the Buckeyes into 3rd and medium or 3rd and long, and that changed the game.

Ohio State leaned on three core concepts in the run game: outside zone, counter, and power. Let’s take a look at how Indiana defended each and how that laid the foundation for a defensive performance that gave them a shot to take down a heavyweight.

Outside Zone

This is Ohio State’s second run of the night, a solid gain off outside zone. On the surface, it looks like a win for the offense. But look closer. Two things stand out. First, Indiana’s defensive line gets immediate penetration. That level of disruption is a warning shot. It sets the tone for what is coming. Second, the backside safety works across the field to clean up the play. That is effort. Great defenses do not just make tackles, they swarm the football. From the opening series, Indiana showed who they were. This was the first hint they were ready for the fight.

Later in the red zone, Ohio State came back to outside zone into the boundary. Once again, they blocked it up fairly well. But this time, Indiana played it better on the edge. The linebacker, number 21, set the edge and forced the run to cut back inside. Ohio State got hats on defenders at the second level, but the safety ran the alley with perfect timing and delivered a solid hit, driving the running back back. What looked like a successful play early turned into a two-yard gain. That is the result of sound technique and relentless effort.

One more look at outside zone. This time, linebacker number 21 is mugged up on the line of scrimmage. He does an outstanding job of getting extension on the offensive guard, then scraping over the top with fast flow to make the tackle. Once again, Ohio State has a blocker for every defender. On paper, it looks like a big play in the making. But effort and technique shut it down. What could have been a chunk gain turns into a minimal one.