Ohio State’s Coverage Toolbox from the CFB Playoffs | Pt 1: Cover 2

When you watched Ohio State's defense during the College Football Playoff run under Jim Knowles, now at Penn State, you see a unit that lived in disguise. The Buckeyes did a great job mixing coverages out of their 4-down, 3-high world. And the key wasn’t just how they lined up pre-snap, it was how they moved pieces like Caleb Downs post-snap that really stressed offenses.

Knowles’ group didn’t always show 3-high, but they made you feel it. Whether they were spinning late, robbing, or rolling to man, the Buckeyes leaned into their versatility and personnel to keep quarterbacks in conflict.

In this series, we’re going to dig into the different coverage wrinkles Ohio State used during their run, including how they built creative variations off their base Cover 2 looks. Let’s start there.

Cover 2 Variations

Inverted Cover 2

Against Notre Dame, Ohio State broke out a unique twist on their usual Cover 2 structure. This was an inverted look, and it played out differently than what we’re used to seeing from Knowles on the back end.

What stood out? The Nickel ran with the motion all the way across, while both safeties held tighter to the line of scrimmage. The picture they painted pre-snap screamed man coverage, which is exactly they wanted.

Even though Notre Dame moved the chains on this one, it was still a smart curveball from a defense that majors in post-snap disguise. A nice change-up off their staple coverage.

Here’s another clip, this time against Tennessee, where Ohio State leans into that same inverted Cover 2 wrinkle. Pre-snap, they load the box and show a heavy pressure look, making it feel like blitz-man all the way.

But post-snap, they bail into that inverted shell. The look forces Tennessee’s QB to throw into a crowded window with three defenders rallying to the ball.

It’s a textbook example of using pressure looks to force quick decisions, then spinning the picture late to muddy the read.