Was Oregon's offensive line giving away the type of play based on how it lined up in Oklahoma State's upset win?

Some studious film watching was the key to Oklahoma State’s win over Oregon, according to Cowboys linebacker Tate Romney.

Oklahoma State held Oregon to just 50 total yards in the first half of its 39-31 win. The Ducks averaged 4.8 yards per play for the game. Across 29 games over the past two seasons, Oregon averaged fewer yards per play just three times.

After the game, Romney told reporters that Oklahoma State was able to find some clues on film for “a big advantage” that helped them figure out if Oregon was going to run or throw the ball.

“Noticing early in the week, I think their offensive line had a few tendencies that helped us key into run, pass and a couple areas we could take advantage of,” he said. “And obviously our defensive line was really keyed into that and they did a great job winning their ones today in the run game and in the pass game.”

And just what were those tendencies?

“Just their offensive line had just a few stance indicators for most of the time, run [or] pass,” Romney said.

A brief examination of the broadcast footage from the game backs up Romney’s assertions. The ESPN game had an alternate SkyCast feed available on Saturday and that aerial angle gives a great look at the of Oregon’s offensive linemen.

From our film viewing from multiple drives across both halves of the game, the footwork of Oregon’s tackles appeared to be the key. If the edge linemen for the Ducks had their outside feet — the right foot for the right tackle and the left foot for the left tackle — behind the inside foot, they generally were going to block like a pass play or a run/pass option. If the outside foot was closer to the line of scrimmage, Oregon typically ran a designed run play.

For example, take a look at this three-and-out from the first half. The first play is a designed run. The second and third-down plays below are designed passes.

Was Oregon giving away the type of play it would run against Oklahoma State?

Was Oregon giving away the type of play it would run against Oklahoma State?

Was Oregon giving away the type of play it would run against Oklahoma State?

It wasn’t a guaranteed key, however. As Oregon took a 31-30 lead on the first play of the fourth quarter on a 38-yard TD pass to a wide-open Evan Stewart, the Ducks’ tackles had their outside feet close to the line of scrimmage.

Oregon’s go-ahead fourth-quarter TD pass.

And perhaps it’s simply a coincidence, but take a look at how Oklahoma State’s defenders bit on the possibility of a run.

Oregon’s go-ahead fourth-quarter TD pass.

It’s safe to say that Oregon’s coaching staff should have any of its offensive line tells fixed by the time the Ducks play Portland State in Week 3. And a run/pass tell early in the season isn’t unprecedented either. Just last season, Notre Dame QB CJ Carr’s footwork in the shotgun gave away a run or a pass in the Irish’s Week 2 loss to Texas A&M. That immediately got cleaned up, and Notre Dame won all 10 of its remaining games.