OSU 4-wide Formation

[chuck_jax]

I was looking at Milli's IOWA clips (thanks, dude) frame by frame. A couple of observations...

1. TS makes great reads at the line of scrimmage. The film preparation is paying off.

2. Iowa struggled with the 4 and 5-wide formations. They could cover Ginn (the deep threat) with what looked like a cover-2 (hard to tell on TV), but it totally exposed them on the slants, short stuff, etc.

3. The 4-wide and 5-wide is a great formation for OSU this year. Our depth at receiver is going to cause a mis-match for almost everybody (Burgess, Crable are you ready this year?)

4. It appears Troy is locking in to his #1 receiver (e.g., TD throw to Robiskie) but his #1 is getting open anyway.

5. Troy has some serious accuracy.

 

[jlb1705]

4. It appears Troy is locking in to his #1 receiver (e.g., TD throw to Robiskie) but his #1 is getting open anyway.

I disagree that he's locking in. We've been seeing proof that he doesn't do that for a year now. What seems like "locking in" on some plays looks more to me like he's recognizing mismatches at the line of scrimmage, and waiting for those mismatches develop as the receiver runs his route. I think Troy is acutely aware of what guys will be open when, and sometimes it may be a longer-developing play where that happens.

That pass to Robo last week - that was an NFL throw.

 

[Dryden]

4. It appears Troy is locking in to his #1 receiver (e.g., TD throw to Robiskie) but his #1 is getting open anyway.

It's impossible for a QB to scan the field in real time with 5-wide. A good QB determines pre-snap which 2 or 3 options (WRs, TEs, or RB/FB) he's going to go with regardless of the formation based on what the defense is showing.

I would say it's 50/50 Troy locking onto a receiver, but he also recognizes who he wants to go to -- who should be open -- based on the coverage before the ball is snapped.

It's a sign of a good QB if it appears he's staring down his receivers and the DBs are still helpless to stop it.