Defending Against The Triple Option

Concern over how Ohio State will defend against Navy's triple option offense has been on the minds of Ohio State's defensive coaching staff. The average fan simply thinks Ohio State has superior athletes, and thus will win the game easily. If only it were that simple when it comes to playing the game on the field.One of the negatives for a speedy defense, such as Ohio State's, is the triple option can effectively neutralize the speed. For linebackers such as Ross Homan or Austin Spitler, Navy will actually try to run right at them with option plays, forcing them to commit to one ball carrier or the other.Here are some basics as to how the triple option works:1. The first option is the fullback. The quarterback will read the defense—if the defense is coming up field too quickly, the quarterback can hand it off to the fullback for a quick hitter up the middle of the field.2. The second option involves the quarterback. The quarterback can fake the handoff to the fullb...