Ohio State Vs. Miami: Breaking Down That Buckeye Offense

What strikes me more than anything in reviewing the OSU offensive performance vs. Marshall was how 'in sync' and 'cohesive' the OSU offense has become. Last year it appeared that the coaches were groping for what would work, oftentimes changing schemes and emphasis from game to game. Now, this tentativeness is nowhere to be found. The coaches have embraced a philosophy for this group that everyone believes in and are attacking the defense with a multiple scheme that embraces the principles of the inside run game, ball-controlled, horizontal passing game, and downfield play action schemes that get Terrelle Pryor in space.

What a difference a year and a new coordinator makes. It may seem small, but a .8 difference in yards per play is huge when divvied out over 879 plays. Miami's offense went from being a complete non-factor, especially in the passing game, to being an effective and dangerous component, especially in the passing game. Jacory Harris and Mark Whipple are a perfect fit for one another; Harris is a long, lean passer with considerable accuracy on the deep ball; Whipple loves play-action like ESPN loves Boise State. The two combine to form an offense that a.) has a purpose, and b.) has the personnel to carry out that purpose.

This table tells us what Miami does on offense, but how do they do it?