Auburn Vs. Clemson: Can The Tigers’ Spread Be Tamed?

SB Nation’s Shakin’ The Southland wonders how Clemson might manage to curb Auburn’s spread tendencies:

One of the primary reasons we have had issues with stopping the spread running game is simply the numbers problem: we put only 6 in the box with a Nickel and sometimes only 5 with a Dime. Within a primarily man/man (Cover 1/0 Robber) defense, the 7th man with responsibilties in the run may be on a receiver, making it very hard for a defense to stop a running QB or even a well-executed spread option system. This makes it doubly important for a defensive line to control their gaps and cause issues up front.