College Football
Friday, December 31
Sugar Bowl playbook
ESPN.com

Florida State and Virginia Tech relied on some of the nation's best players to earn a shot at the national championship. But it also takes great coaching and the execution of a sound scheme in order for the Seminoles and the Hokies to maximize their talent.

 John Mackovic
Mackovic

With that in mind, ESPN's John Mackovic has broken down some of the key plays that Florida State and Virginia Tech will run in their Sugar Bowl showdown on Jan. 4. The former college and pro football coach diagrams an offensive and defensive play for each team and explains how the plays work, why they will be used, and when to expect them during the game. Each play includes three diagrams with accompanying text, following it from the initial formation to the end result.

Here's a look at some key plays in the Sugar Bowl:

Virginia Tech
  • Offense: Lead 26 Power-O
  • Defense: 4-3 Fire Strong

    Florida State
  • Offense: 586 Screen Right
  • Defense: 4-3 Plug Weak

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