Breaking down Ben Arbuckle’s Playbook

Ben Arbuckle’s | Air Raid Breakdown | OU Football Film Room
Part 1 - Y- Cross

Welcome back to The Champion Standard! In this deep-dive episode, we break down one of  Ben Arbuckle’s favorite passing concept: Yankee (aka Y-Cross)—the foundational route combo powering his Air Raid philosophy. From field spacing to film analysis, we show how this play manipulates defenses, creates explosive gains, and perfectly fits Oklahoma QB John Mateer’s strengths.

This one’s for the playbook junkies, OU fans, and football minds who want to understand why Arbuckle’s scheme is more than just Air Raid—it’s calculated, layered, and dangerous.

00:00 – Intro + Thunder Talk
06:42 –  Yankee (Y-Cross)
09:35 – Route Structure & Core Philosophy
13:48 – Fade → Cross → Check
16:27 – Mateer vs Cover 1
20:19 – Yankee Opens the Field
24:05 – Tagging Routes
28:52 – Speed Outs
33:11 – Yankee vs Sail: Arbuckle’s Play-Calling Counterpunch
38:46 – How Yankee Fits OU’s Roster