Nicole Auerbach

USA TODAY Sports

Seeds that lead to upsets can originate in the most unlikely places.

For example, one that led to Virginia Tech's stifling defensive performance and stunning win at Ohio State on Saturday was planted back in February in Oxford, Miss.

Hokies longtime defensive coordinator Bud Foster had gone there to visit good friend Dave Wommack, also the Ole Miss defensive coordinator.

"They have a package that they use a little bit that we were intrigued by," Foster told USA TODAY Sports. "We kind of pieced that together (with a package Virginia Tech already used) in our offseason studies. Not just for Ohio State, but teams that are quarterback run-oriented teams, which are becoming more and more (common) with the spread offense. When you have a dynamic guy besides a tailback, that's just another element we have to deal with defensively."

By the start of fall camp, Foster had come to a creative conclusion. He would use a formation he had used sporadically, but never for the duration of the game in more than 20 years: the double eagle.

Essentially, it consists of a nose guard, two three-techniques and two edge players, with the ability to bring pressure from linebackers or a safety playing closer to the line of scrimmage. The system relies on talented defensive backs who can play man-to-man coverage, and a relentless rush.

The goal is to shut down the opponent's run game, though the system does present opportunities for big passing plays — that's the main risk. However, with few exceptions, the Buckeye receivers couldn't beat their coverage on Saturday.

"We did really load the box," Foster said. "On early downs, we brought basically a five-man front but were able to add a linebacker or defensive back. What was a four or five-man rush could turn into a five or six, six or seven-man rush. That was just kind of built in. … Then, third and long – when you get to that, you can do a lot.

"When you start to get some pressure, the quarterback gets uneasy, and I think you feed off of that."

All of this was exacerbated against Ohio State redshirt freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett, playing in just his second collegiate game.

Barrett's stat line tells much of the story: 9-for-29 passing for 219 yards, with one touchdown and three interceptions. He also had 24 carries for 70 yards and a score. But the Buckeyes, who averaged 308.6 rushing yards last season, compiled just 108 rushing yards total against the Hokies. Barrett was sacked seven times in the game — with six of those sacks coming in the final nine minutes.

"We wanted him to stay in the pocket as much as possible, make him beat us throwing the ball," said Virginia Tech senior rover Kyshoen Jarrett, who had two interceptions in the game. "You always want to make a team one-dimensional. … We have some of the best DBs. We could pretty much put everyone on an island and allow our great front seven to get after the QB as much as possible. Everybody played a role. If the pressure got to the QB, we were able to get interceptions. If we had great coverage down the field, we were able to get sacks.

"We complemented each other very well."

That's almost word-for-word what Foster tells his players constantly: Good rush makes good coverage, and good coverage makes good rush.

Particularly disruptive along the line was junior defensive end Dadi Nicolas, who was seemingly everywhere and tallied two sacks. Junior linebacker Deon Clarke recorded a career-high 10 tackles, including a sack, and broke up a pass. The Hokies' pair of elite cornerbacks Kendall Fuller and Brandon Facyson handled Ohio State's deep threats.

Foster said he counted up 31 times that Barrett, the Buckeyes' quarterback, was hit by a Hokies defender. That's particularly impressive considering the youth and inexperience of the Virginia Tech front.

"When that quarterback is getting hit — and there were a couple of nice hits – that scenario benefits us, hopefully, in the end," Foster said.

During the game's final nine minutes — right after Virginia Tech re-gained the lead, 28-21 — the Virginia Tech defense registered six sacks and forced two interceptions. Foster says he did dial up the pressure because he knew Barrett would be forced to throw with even greater urgency. The Hokies blitzed frequently and threw different looks at Barrett, who struggled to read where the pressure was coming from.

"Coach Foster told us every day (going into the game), 'Nobody knows this defense, nobody knows you. Go out there and make a name for yourself,' " Clarke said. "Everybody was flying to the ball, hitting the quarterback, catching picks. … We showed everyone we're still the nasty D we've always been. We've got younger players, but we can still do the job."