How the Spread Changed Perception

Remember a few years back after the 2007 Rose Bowl when USC DE/LB Brian Cushing said this about Michigan: "We just knew what they were going to do. They're a traditional offense -- they're not trying to trick you. They rely on their players being better than yours. We had the better players today." That statement made me cringe. It could have been some post-victory smack talk but I think most of us accepted this as truth about the old Michigan offense. Those days are long gone, two ND linebackers had this to say regarding facing MSU one week after Michigan: “It’s going to be easier for us this week because they line up in an I pro (formation) and they’re going to come at you and try to run between the tackles,” linebacker Brian Smith said. “It ain’t as much razzle-dazzle and tricky,” linebacker Toryan Smith said. “Michigan State, what you see is what you get.” Given those comments alone, which program do you think is on the rise and which on the decline (as if history and last weekend didn't say this loudly enough)? If the spread is dead, then Notre Dame fears our spread zombies.