So I was scheduled to have a recruiting update for you today. But in light of recent events, I wanted something more metal. It's time for the BEN MASON IS AWESOME HERE'S WHY Neck Sharpies.

Since Mason's appearance on Jansen's podcast a few months ago the only mention of the senior is that he's with the tight ends. So is the fullback really dead in this offense? Based on how they used him, and how effective he was, in the Citrus Bowl against Alabama, I highly doubt it. Since that, more than "Harbaugh would never not have a fullback" is my basis for believing Mason will play a big role in this year's offense, and hopefully next year's as well, I figured I should show you what I saw.

I counted 16 MURDERFACE snaps in this game, not including a Mayfield false start. On most of those he was a centerpiece or a primary decoy, meaning he either made the key block the play was designed to run through, or he was supposed to look like it. Only one of these plays was a non-play-action pass and we can get it out of the way because Mason didn't seem to know what his job was on it, and that nearly led to a disaster.

We'll have to work on that.

[After THE JUMP: Women and Children First]

MEAN STREET

Mason's primary job in the offense versus Bama was as an H- or F- or U-back, which are all words to mean a tight end who's not on the line of scrimmage. From here he was most often the cross-blocker in Michigan's Split Zone/Arc Read series that was heavily tilted to the former.

What Michigan's doing here is setting up the later stuff with orbit motions, like the Giles Jackson wheel and the DPJ end-around. But they also want to get some yards in the process by wrong-stepping the defense on a Split Zone Counter. The blocks look like zone blocks before they convert to bully tactics to seal the DL to the left and run through the gap between Mayfield and the cross-blocker, Ben Mason.

I have an endzone cut of this game too which is more helpful. Mason is #42 on the left (sound is just crowd noise on these).

Note where #75, Jon Runyan is lined up in relation to the line. That split (not the same split as "Split" Zone fyi) is meant to invite the defense to buy the counter, since a wider lane often signifies an intended one. The counter step before the back cuts into the gap is meant to freeze the LBs. They get a gift because Bama is slanting to the frontside (left) so the WLB has to replace the gap on the right AND he is staring right a wide open A gap on the left side of Ruiz that his safety buddy is supposed to be rotating down to take when Bell motions across.

This is very #SpeedInSpace: they're using the threat of Bell's orbit motion to threated outside at the same time the line and formation and the back's first steps are threatening a run to the left, and all along they're intending to go right-side C gap. The Gattis offense is all about pulling defenders in opposite directions.

But you still get value from Mason here. That would otherwise be a tight end—in fact it's where Eubanks normally lined up last year—but Ben Mason's block determines how much space that gap gets on the right:

And the way Ben Mason blocks it creates a lot of space.

Like a LOT a lot.

Let's compare this to Nick Eubanks, who was the F-Tight End last year when McKeon was available.

Eubanks gets the play made in the clip above, but it's sketchy. His angle isn't quite right and he grabs on in a very "you might get called for holding on that" way. Note too how the offense set up. Eubanks began the play further inside, a shortcut to his block that also invites the defense to shift that far to the playside. And there's certainly no split from Runyan. Michigan's trying to make this block easy for Eubanks because the play relies on it so much. In the Alabama clip, Gattis is raising the difficulty on Mason, asking him to get a full head of steam while he crosses to keep the inside linebacker from using him as a guide to the ball. That OL split is more space Mason has to make up, but also more space the defensive line has to make up.

Also note that Illinois had the worst edge defenders on Michigan's schedule while Mason's quarry here is 6'3"/259 All-SEC OLB Anfernee Jennings, a third round pick of the Patriots. And it wasn't a one-off thing:

Running off these cross blocks from Mason in a tight end position were money for most of the day. Eventually of course the defense picked up that Michigan was crossing the formation with their fullback and slanted with him. That just left them totally discombobulated when Michigan ran a counter off Ben's side:

Confused OLB/Safety is an RPS win but also note how far #48, Phidarian Mathis, the starting nose guard for the Alabama Crimson Tide, gets taken for a ride, ensuring SS #21 couldn't stop this third down conversion.

SOMEBODY GET ME A DOCTOR

Split zone isn't the end of ways to use Mason from an F-Tight End alignment. Wisconsin's favorite counter to zone running is a Counter Trey with the fullback the backside blocker. That backside blocker has a tough job; unless you're playing Rutgers or whoever their old LBs coach is around these days, Counter Trey leaves a backside linebacker for the second puller to deal with. That linebacker has little to do during the whole counter phase but watch his gap and prepare for this.

This doesn't make Eubanks crap at blocking; he held up well last year except when he had to move to the inline spot against Penn State when McKeon missed time. And Eubanks gives you a much better receiving threat. The point is Mason's blocking skills can be put to use in subtle but important ways.

Here's another Counter Trey from this game in which the MLB #35 made a play to limit the gain, but there were yards after the pile because WLB #8 was getting the MURDERFACE treatment.

HOUSE OF PAIN

A trap block is when you let a DT upfield only for him to get erased by a backfield blocker, since those monsters in the middle are the hardest blocks to get off. Teams do all sorts of things to get a good WHAM block off. Here's Geoff Schwartz with a too-good-not-to-share example of a team running a trap on some jabroni with the unenviable task of replacing the Great Mo Hurst on Oakland's line.

Little inside football here. Having fun with dummy calls never gets old. Here the Bills RG and RT are talking before a trap play baiting the DT into thinking a hard double team is happening. Of course he buys it and falls flat on his face. pic.twitter.com/8CjfQzYBUd

— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) October 6, 2020

You're not always so luck that the guy will fall on his face. A well-coached DT will be in the backfield, trying to close down that running lane. A well-placed Ben Mason can reverse an All-American's direction.

Note again Michigan is going with a wide tackle split to Mason's side.

Here's where #99 Raekwan Davis, one of the best linemen in college football last year, is standing when he realizes he's a trapped man:

Note his position relative to the hashmark he wants to get to. This is where he ends up, at a dead stop after absorbing Mason and losing all the land he meant to claim.

Ruiz lost his block by letting the NT cross his face which is why Charbonnet isn't thundering down the hash. Still.

ERUPTION

The original spread and shred teams actually eschewed tight ends for "Superbacks"—the term Northwestern still uses for the modern version of the old pro set splitback:

That play is a simple F lead with an arc option with DPJ out the back side. It's actually right out of the Mad Magicians playbook. Here's a more violent Pin & Pull version:

I wrote a whole article earlier in the year about how Michigan set up the matchup with a cornerback for Mason in the above. He doesn't disappoint. I also wrote about how having him moving across the formation from back there where everybody can see is a great way to set up counter, because why wouldn't the ball go behind the Ben Mason block?

He doesn't just have to be a blocking decoy either. In a UV this week Brian brought up a play that Dan Casey shared where the fullback charges at a linebacker who for a moment incorrectly believes he has escaped death.

Ole Miss running an H-Back Insert Iso Pop Pass through the B-Gap pic.twitter.com/K71wDvavVX

— Coach Dan Casey (@CoachDanCasey) October 5, 2020

Wouldn't ya know it, we do:

Just not very well yet because Mason was playing defensive tackle for half the year. I know things have been quiet now while they set up, and while we're focused on David Lee Roth. But don't you worry about Bennie. When the lights come on, he's gonna shred.

RIP Eddie.