Sometimes, coaches get so concerned with being crafty they forget to do what makes sense.
So it was in the second half of Notre Dame vs Ohio State in the national championship game, when on fourth-and-2, from their own 33-yard line, the Fighting Irish attempted a fake punt down 28-7.
It was surprising to see the punt team take the field at all in a short-yardage situation, and somehow even more surprising to see a fake in such an obvious spot. Backup quarterback Steve Angeli’s pass fell incomplete on a rollout to Jordan Faison, as the ball fell through the latter’s hands during a diving attempt.
The play was nearly a success, but the chaos of a fake punt can make plays that seem relatively simple messy by nature.
The Fighting Irish defense stood firm on the ensuing Buckeyes possession, forcing a field goal that made it 31-7 Buckeyes. Notre Dame would score and convert a 2-point conversion on its next drive to make it a two-possession game — making it so the gifted three points loom a little bit larger in the third quarter.