Consistent self-scouting is an important part of every productive offensive staff at the high school, college and NFL level. How each staff goes about that may differ, but the goal is the same - find out your play calling tendencies before the opponent's staff does, and you'd better have some ways to counter what you expect them to do.
As they prepare to take on the Buckeyes top ranked defense in a highly anticipated match up, James Franklin shared a great nugget on part of the way they self-scout.
Franklin keeps a running record of every offensive play he and his staff have ever called out of each of their offensive sets.
After practice yesterday, explained why he has (and continues to keep) a running rolodex on that, and his explanation will make a ton of sense to coordinators everywhere.
"For example, we have a Duo game plan, so a formation - a 2x2 - game plan that we have used against Ohio State the last couple of years that we pull out, and we can see 'these are the things we did,' and I know they have a new defense and a new defensive coordinator, but what I'm saying is, we'll pull them out."
"We'll go back and take a look at what we've done in the past. But then we also have an all-time 2x2 sheet that shows everything that we've ever run from 2x2. So now that gives you things that you may be able to pull, something we used three years ago, or four years ago, or two years ago."
Franklin goes on to share how those master sheets become another layer in their offensive game plan.
"Then there are some things that there's a 2x2 concept that we've been running, and now we're going to change this one receiver's route to break a tendency. So now we've been running an over, or a stick route by the tight end and we know that they're anticipating that, so now we're going to do something to compliment that to break a tendency. Some of it may be things we've already done, while some of it may be specific for that week."
Hear more from Franklin at about the 9:34 mark of the video.
https://youtu.be/N-IJnM_4kJE?t=576