Past to Present
Ohio State Football is one of the best in the nation. With 8 titles under their belt they truly are a top notch team. But with all the coaches that role through they are the same in one way; all want to raise that trophy above their head. The way they get to that point is all in the playbooks. Here is the general development of the Ohio State playbook.
1890
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
1890- 1950: Various
1951- 1978: Conservative Play
With the new program of football arriving at the school, they needed coaches and players to make it be successful. This idea didn't catch on, which resulted in the several different coaches and play styles they had during this time period.
This is the first time when Ohio State has a noticeable play style. This style was all about power runs getting 3 or 4 yards every down. The most common formation was the "I" as it was mainly used for power runs. The coach during this period, Woody Hayes says this about passing, "Only three things can happen when you pass, a completion, an incompletion, or an interception, two of them are bad." This style tried to avoid passing as much as possible.
1979-1987: All about that "I"
The usage of the "I" formation was used by nearly every team in the late 1900's but in a different way. Unlike the early type, this style incorporated the short passes as well. The pace of the game was very short and chewed off a lot of the clock. They resorted heavily on their high-powered defense to create a turnover.
1988-2000: DISCIPLINE
John Cooper ran his team on discipline. He wanted every player to know what was going on. He stressed mental preparation for the best results. He ran his offense with several audibles. Again, a lot of short runs were made but just out of the "I". Singleback formations became popular and this was commonly used.
2001-2010: Intro to the Shotgun
As we enter the 2000's the style of modern day football becomes popular. Many teams are now transferring over to the Shotgun and Pistol formations. These formations are used for more passing and option plays. In the original run formations, when you wanted to pass, the QB had to make a three step drop to avoid getting sacked. In the Shotgun he is already back far enough so he has more time to dissect he defense.
2011-Present: Urban Era
After the firing of Jim Tressel, Urban Meyer took over and completely changed Ohio State's playbook. He got rid of the "I" and almost only uses the Shotgun and Pistol. This style specializes in QB runs and the option. Versatile running backs became popular with Carlos Hyde and Ezekiel Elliot. This style won Ohio State the first ever College Football Playoff.
Woody's playbook was very similar to this one play.