Coach-

Will today provide more drama than the unexpected #10 Miami upset over #2 Ohio State?

#5 Oregon faces off with #4 Texas Tech at noon in the Orange Bowl and #9 Alabama takes on #1 Indiana in the Rose Bowl.

Those will surely be great games, but the Sugar Bowl has a very interesting storyline if you've been following along...

New HC Pete Golding is in his second game ever as a HC while Glenn Schumann is hoping to add another national championship as DC. This season's previous matchup saw a high scoring affair that required the Dawgs to come back in the 4th quarter.

Will we see another high scoring affair or will the defensive adjustments from these two staffs define the outcome?

Today, we look at the specific teaching methods from both sidelines—Georgia DC Glenn Schumann’s "Hot" logic in the run game and Charlie Weis Jr.’s blueprint for RPO clarity. Both rely on one core principle: giving players a specific problem to solve so they can play fast.

🏈 CoachesClinic Matchup of the Day

Ole Miss: The A-B-C Blueprint for RPO Clarity

Video: Glance RPOs

For Ole Miss OC Charlie Weis Jr., an explosive RPO game isn't about massive playbooks—it’s about organization.

He avoids "paralysis by analysis" for his quarterback by categorizing their entire inventory into three specific buckets. By grouping plays into Level A, B, and C, the QB solves one specific problem on every snap rather than trying to scan the whole field.

“Simplify the read. Speed up the feet. Score more points.”

🔑 Teaching Points from Weis Jr.:

• Bucket your inventory. Group plays based on the level of the defense being read: Level A (Line of Scrimmage), Level B (Linebackers), or Level C (Safeties).
• Neutralize the edge on Level A. Read the Defensive End's eyes—if he stays on the running back, the QB pulls the ball and becomes the runner to gain a numbers advantage.
• "Turn Two" on Level B. Train the QB like a shortstop turning a double play—use quick hands and feet to rip slants or hitches the moment a second-level defender commits to the run.
• Hunt home runs on Level C. Use Glance routes to attack the Safety—if he fits the run aggressively, the QB delivers the strike right behind him.
• Kill Man coverage with "Happy Hour." When defenses lock up, have the Tight End "crack" the defender chasing the motion man in the flat to legally pick him and spring a touchdown.

💡 Use It:

Adopt the A-B-C framework this offseason to give your quarterback clear definitions on every play. As Weis puts it: "Your RPO game doesn't need 100 different plays. It needs clear definitions."

Georgia: The "Hot" Logic of the Stack Fit

Video: Different Types of Run Fits

For Georgia DC Glenn Schumann, run game defense is about knowing when to stop being patient.

He borrowed a "modes" system from D-line coaches to ensure the front and the linebackers stay on the same page. Instead of playing every run the same way, Schumann’s backers operate in Base, Stunt, or Jet mode, allowing them to kill a slow stack fit the second a gap opens up or a guard pulls.

“Once I acknowledge my gap is hot, my mindset is no longer really a stack fit. It’s an aggressive downhill fit as things unfold.”

🔑 Teaching Points from Schumann:

• Sync the language. Borrow the D-line’s mode system—Base, Stunt, and Jet—so your linebackers and linemen aren’t speaking two different languages.
• Default to the stack. In Base mode, linebackers should stay patient and stack their primary gap or play behind a two-gap defender.
• Identify when you’re “Hot.” Train players to recognize cues like an uncovered A-gap in a 4-down front or the C-gap in a "Tight" front that demand an immediate reaction.
• React to pullers instantly. The second a guard pulls, the stack fit is dead for the linebacker responsible for spilling the ball. He needs to get downhill right now.
• Speed up the fit. Use the “Hot” alert to simplify the read. If the gap is open, it’s an aggressive run-through, not a slow read.

💡 Use It: Give your linebackers a “Hot” key. If the gap is open or the big man pulls, the stack fit is over. As Schumann puts it: “If my gap is hot, my fit is going to be sped up. I really can’t stack anymore.”

Takeaway

Ole Miss’ offensive precision meets Georgia’s defensive anticipation — a battle of speed versus structure, and teaching versus technique.

Both programs prove that excellence isn’t built on scheme alone. It is built on clarity, daily habits, and repetition. When you define exactly what matters and teach it relentlessly, your players can execute with the speed and confidence required to win.

Enjoy all the games today!

Coaches Clinic Community of Coaches Helping Coaches

More Clinics from the Ole Miss Staff:

Develop a Top Performing Kick Off Unit - Jake Schoonover

Kickoff: Disrupting Rhythm - Jake Schoonover

A,B & C Level RPO’s - Charles Weis

More Clinics from the Georgia Staff:

Offense & QB Play - Brandon Streeter

Stacy Searels- Effort the Georgia Way