You Gotta Pedal! Bama Play vs. Ohio St. Shows You Why

By: Chad Wilson

Hey first off congratulations to the Alabama Crimson Tide winning their 6th title in 11 years. Every recruiting class under Nick Saban has won a national title. That is quite amazing so kudos to them.

Now that we have that out of the way let’s talk about one of the big plays in the College Football National Championship game. It was one of the most talked about plays in the game because most anyone who mentioned it spoke of how the Ohio St. Buckeyes left Devonta Smith alone with a linebacker. Ultimately, that is what happened but I am here to tell you that it was not what was supposed to happen. The reason this happened is because the free safety on the play vacated his responsibility and left his linebacker hung out to dry.

The reason that this happened was because the free safety did not trust his pedal and made no effort to weave. A strong pedal and an ability to weave is like having a solid firearm when you are a policeman. In this video I breakdown where the free safety broke down and set up a 1-on-1 matchup that few if any linebacker playing football could win. For those of you who want some information on having a better back pedal and learning how to weave effectively, just hit the search bar when you are finishing watching the video below and type in “pedal”. You will see what articles I have put up on the topics.

As always, thank you for being a member and if you have any questions, feel free to email at: cwilson@alleyesdbcamp.com

• Author
• Recent Posts

alleyesdbcamp

Owner at All Eyes DB Camp

Chad Wilson is the founder of All Eyes DB Camp and a former standout defensive back for the Miami Hurricanes. After an elite collegiate career, Wilson spent a season with the Seattle Seahawks before transitioning into coaching. A 3-time Florida state champion defensive coordinator, he has spent over 20 years developing the "All Eyes" blueprint that has produced NFL All-Pros and stars like Xavien Howard, Patrick Surtain II, Tyson Campbell, Minkah Fitzpatrick and more. His coaching system is proven at the highest levels—his own sons, Quincy and Marco Wilson, both excelled as starters in the SEC before being drafted into the NFL.

Chad is the author of "101 DB Tips"—The Ultimate DB Reference Guide. You can find more information on the manual and how to order your copy in the sidebar and footer of this page.

Latest posts by alleyesdbcamp (see all)

• Master Off Man Coverage with Proper Transition Sequences - March 25, 2026
• The Secret to Elite DB Play: Striving for Technique Perfection - March 17, 2026
• The Alien Era: How Defensive Backs Can Win vs Athletic Tight Ends - March 4, 2026