S.I. = dumb ("Death of the Spread")

Submitted by Tha Quiet Storm on

(I looked for an online version of this story but couldn't find one, maybe someone can help me out. I believe the writer was Andy Staples.)

In this week's issue of SI, one of their short articles was about how Texas is going to more of a pro-style offense this season (as well as changes at Florida, USF, TTU) and how this may be the beginning of the end for the spread offense. They apparently had their lowest per-game rushing total since 2002 last season - about 147 ypg. This is so dumb I can't help but try and pick it apart.

1. Maybe the change at Texas has something to do with the fact that they have a 6-5 pocket passer at QB, and maybe the "lack of balance" they had last year was due to the fact that they had a 5th. year senior Heisman trophy calibre QB with around a 75% completion rate. Oh, and I seem to remember that they went undefeated until the NC game in which said Heisman finalist QB got injured in the 1st quarter. I don't think the offense is too much of a problem if you go undefeated and play for the NC, but maybe that's just me.

2. Maybe the changes at UF, TTU, and USF have something to do with drastic coaching and personnel changes. UF loses Tebow, TTU replaces Mike Leach with Tommy Tuberville, and USF replaces Jim Leavitt with Skip Holtz. Raise your hand if you think Urban Meyer will abandon the offense that has taken him from BGSU to Utah to Florida and won him 2 NCs. If your hand is still down, raise it if you think the offense at TTU will be as wide open under TT as it was under Leach. (I'm not sure what Skip Holtz's offensive philosophy is, but I don't think he's as much of a pro-style guy as the author seems to imply.)

3. Every year, people predict the demise of the spread, and every year, the top 10-15 offenses in the country end up being teams that run versions of the spread. Brian has documented this and has repeatedly smacked down Gary Danielson for constantly bringing up the "spread is dead" theme. Can people just stop with this nonsense?

Zone Left

April 9th, 2010 at 1:32 PM ^

I think the real issue is the rise of bad spread teams that several writers have posited. The spread isn't novel anymore and because everyone sees it so much, it isn't that hard to stop bad teams--which is really the same with any offensive or defensive philosophy. The days where Northwestern was the only team around running the offense are over. Last year, Michigan, Northwestern, Illinois, Penn State, and OSU were running some form of the spread for significant portions of last season.

Robbie Moore

April 9th, 2010 at 1:34 PM ^

Then what would we have to talk about? They know it. That's why they write this shit. It riles people up. If you want rumors, speculation and innuendo try mainstream publications, newspapers and talk radio. If you want to learn something meaningful, I suggest MGoBlog.

MGOARMY

April 9th, 2010 at 1:35 PM ^

The spread is dead, I hear it's all about the triple veer now. I love how a pro-style team win's the NC and the spread "dies". Two years ago when score at will OKL and FLA played in the NC, both running spread offenses must have been a fluke.

maizenblue92

April 9th, 2010 at 1:48 PM ^

Just to play devil's advocate on the subject. They could argue that the best team (Alabama) doesn't run the spread. The best team from the decade (USC) never ran the spread. OSU switched from the spread a year after losing in the national title game with it. The only team in the last decade to win the national championship with the spread was Florida (2). I am not saying I agree, I am just saying that the argument is not as stupid as we think. Food for thought.

maizenblue92

April 9th, 2010 at 1:57 PM ^

Once again to play devil's advocate. Current OSU with Terrelle Pryor (#1 dual threat QB) is running more of a power offense. Even though they do show a little spread QB stuff. The Longhorns ran an offense where Vince Young had one reciever read. If he wasn't open he was told to run. They also ran a lot of under center play-action.

jmblue

April 9th, 2010 at 3:07 PM ^

How are we defining "spread"? OSU has run a large portion of its snaps from the shotgun for several years now, even when Boeckman was the QB. If a spread offense is one that features the QB in the shotgun and 3-4 WR spread wide, that's OSU's base offense. For that matter, basically every team in the country uses this at times (as did Carr when we ran the two-minute drill).

It seems like a lot of people are confusing "spread" with "zone read option." The former is a formation; the latter is specific type of play.

SysMark

April 9th, 2010 at 3:14 PM ^

Don't be surprised if OSU goes more to a spread this year. My impression so far with Pryor is they have been protecting him by running him less. They don't want to have to go to whoever the backup is. The reality is he is not a great passer and they are more effective when he is allowed to run.

This is what I love about the depth we are going to have at quarterback starting this year - we won't be living in fear of the smallest injury.

ironman4579

April 9th, 2010 at 1:58 PM ^

I was actually about to bring up the exact same thing. Of course the spread is a great scoring offense. But I suppose you could say that only one team (Florida) has won a National Championship running the spread (Texas was running some spread at that time if I remember, but let's face it, without Vince Young, possibly one of the greatest college players ever, they don't win that game. Hell, they don't even come close to beating us in the Rose Bowl). Not a knock down of the spread or anything, but it is something that anti-sprad pundits could point to.

ironman4579

April 9th, 2010 at 3:11 PM ^

It's doubtful that he would have been as effective. But that's really beside the point. That still leaves 7 of the last 10 National Champs running a pro style offense. And I stand by the statement that Texas wouldn't have been close in that game without Vince Young being a damn monster and completely taking the game over.

jmblue

April 9th, 2010 at 3:29 PM ^

How are you defining "pro-style"? If it involves having the QB under center at all times, then only USC, among championship teams, actually ran one. Every other team used spread formations at least some of the times. Having a white guy who doesn't run at QB does NOT necessarily make an offense "pro-style".

It would be more accurate to say that there have been four championship teams to use spread formations exclusively (you left out 2000 Oklahoma), two (USC '03 and '04) to use pro-style exclusively, and the rest used a mix of the two. Even in the NFL, few teams run their offenses exclusively out of pro-style formations.

funkywolve

April 9th, 2010 at 3:28 PM ^

that the spread that Florida ran with Leak was more geared towards passing and handing off to the running back (kind of similiar to Oklahoma) rather then a spread where the QB is getting a lot of carries. Tebow did get some carries but it was mainly in short yardage and goal line situations.

M-Wolverine

April 9th, 2010 at 11:11 PM ^

Is the spread offenses that couldn't run the ball were, well, passing spread offenses. Ones that throw the ball first, second, and third, and then run it. If they want to get away from "Purdue style spread"...well, good for us. The less people that run a spread, the harder it is to prepare for. But none of their stats show a run-based spread is having problems running the balls. Which is what we want to do.

MCalibur

April 9th, 2010 at 4:50 PM ^

I suppose defense has nothing to do with winning the national championship--9 of the last 10 National Champions had defenses ranked in the top 10 in Total Defense! Ohio State in 2003 was the only deviation; they came in at 23.

2009 - Alabama - 2
2008 - Florida - 9
2007 - LSU - 3
2006 - Florida - 6
2005 - Texas - 10
2004 - USC - 6
2003 - LSU - 1
2002 - OSU - 23
2001 - Miami - 6
2000 - Oklahoma - 8

Offensive scheme, hell scheme in general, is such a waste of discussion time. Use whatever you want, just get the goddamn job done!

Tater

April 9th, 2010 at 1:59 PM ^

According to today's St Pete Times, which I read in hard copy (ergo no link), Meyer will run the single wing or "wildcat" formation with one of his two "fast" QB's on third and short, while legacy John Brantley will handle most of the other duties.

He wants to have a situation similar to what he had with Chris Leak and Tim Tebow during Tebow's freshman year.

As for the "death of the spread," even pro set teams are using spread formations; SI could not be more wrong.

BlockM

April 9th, 2010 at 1:59 PM ^

Let everyone be lulled to sleep, I sure as hell don't care. The spread looks harmless enough while in its chrysalis...

Then...

Boom.

Victors10

April 9th, 2010 at 2:53 PM ^

It's nonsense. I remember seeing something on the tv about the top teams and it showed that almost all of them ran a spread. Shut up SI.

jrt336

April 9th, 2010 at 6:40 PM ^

Wait, SI is wrong? That never happens! SI is full of idiots. They said the Tigers would be playing in the World Series against the Mets. Consequently, they both missed the playoffs.

somewittyname

April 9th, 2010 at 7:39 PM ^

But basically every sports/news source gets shredded on mgoblog. Is there any newspaper, magazine, or website (not umich affiliated or dr. saturday) that can the media critics of this blog can praise?