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Spread Offense Dying?

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jimotis4heisman

jimotis4heisman

Banned
Spread Offense Losing Ground? - WSJ.com
here's a fascinating irony developing in college football regarding the spread of the spread offense. Michigan and Auburn fans might find it funny were it not so personally painful. For years, blue-blood teams like the aforementioned two dominated lesser foes because they had superior talent. Since offenses were simpler, less varied and less potent, the outcome of many of these games was academic. If you and I both run a ball-control attack, and I have a better roster top-to-bottom, how can you ever win?
OB-CM635_cfoot__D_20081012184122.jpg
Associated PressMichigan head coach Rich Rodriguez yells from the sidelines during the second quarter of his team's loss to Toledo.



To compensate, innovative coaches at schools like Northwestern and Texas Tech turned to an offensive strategy that could make up for the talent gap: the spread, which forces the defense to account for three or more receivers, opening room for speedy skill players. In theory, once the major powers did likewise and caught up schematically, talent would once again lift the best above the rest.
But the spread isn't an equal-opportunity equalizer, it seems. While it has enabled teams of lesser talent to beat superior schools, it's causing those of superior talent to lose to lesser programs.
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CBS commentator Gary Danielson said something last week that must have made Michigan supporters freak out: that the spread may already be becoming pass?. "I said it before the season?and I was out there by myself?I think we've seen the spread has peaked, like the wishbone did in the mid-70s," he said in The Detroit News.
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IMO, only lesser schools should run a variation of the spread all game. A school like Ohio State needs to be able to line up with two tight ends and pound the football for 4 or 5 yards every play, and then, the very next play, come out in a 4 wide package.

We need to be diverse.
 
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with teams shifting to the small/quicker LB's, I wouldn't be surprised to see the power game slowly coming back in 5-10 years.

The spread will be around for a while though...and I'm not sure it has peaked yet. Peaked for a team like Missouri, yes....not peaked for tOSU.
 
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Interesting article - and I would like to think it could be true.

The interesting question for UM fans is this. If the spread evolved to allow programs with mediocre talent compete with teams of greater talent, why implement it at Michigan?

When has a spread team won the NC? It is great for springing a mid level team into the top 10. But the same element of unpredictability that makes it work makes a team upset prone.

When all is said and done what many of us have been arguing all along could be true - RR is simply turning UM into WVU. When RR gets his talent on board the UM ceiling may be at the same level as WVU. And who would you pay millions to do that?

The only difference may be that by playing OSU, PSU, MSU, Wisky, etc. there will be many more "upsets" that will keep them from ever reaching the Rose - let alone the NC.
 
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methomps said:
Your spelling is ubsured.
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thats to easy for me to navigate...

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Taosman said:
Prolly time to start using spell check! :tongue2:
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It will never "die." It will decrease in popularity rapidly just like past flavor of the month offenses. The Run and Shoot, Wing T, Single Wing, etc.

What it will no longer do and, really, no longer does is serve as an equalizer. Kids have now played against it since middle school, coaches have coached against it for years, and half of college football runs it.

Teams like Florida can continue to run it, but they will need to recruit the players for it. Top shelf recruits. And coaches can no longer run it without having a vision for it. They can't just go 5 wide and expect plays to happen.
 
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