The Option

[Spartness]

Since that other thread is dead, I will continue with a new one. Do you think perhaps in the future with a guy like Lee starting that we may see Callahan throw in an option once in a while to throw off the defense? Ganz could run it, too, maybe. Keller and Witt probably not.

 

Callahan tried it once at Colorado in 2005. Pretty funny seeing Taylor running it.

[MCAT800]

It died for a reason, move on

[gamecocks]

I don't think we will see the tradional, under center, I fomation, option that we saw with TO and Frankie, but Callahan may put in the shotgun, spread option some as he has a knack for pulling out all the stops on offense.

[huskers1964]

I sure miss the option but agree that it is no longer effective in modern college football.

[admo]

Nah, I dont see it coming back. It was brilliant when it was on though.

[huskers1964]

I watched some old film yesterday and boy is it a thing of beauty.

[HANC]

Most of you are going to disagree with me, but the option would still work today...... If Tom Osborne was the HC, there is absolutely NO DOUBT in my mind that NU would still be the dynasty it was..... The option can and does work !!!! The reason why it fell apart at NU is because Frank could not recruit.... TO would still be able to bring "top notch" athletes to fit his system !!!!! If you try to run the option with lesser talent than Crouch, Frost, Frazier........ Phillips, Green, Mackovicas at FB, then the system doesn't work (ie Solich)....

 

 

As a football coach, I know that the more difficult you make it for an opponent to prepare for you, you have "won" the practice week...... In today's West Coast, spread NCAA, teams would have NO chance to prepare for the option vs TO caliber athletes..... It is impossible for a team to practice for only a week to develop the discipline it takes to stop the well run option......

 

Now, under Solich, with lesser talent, you don't need as much discipline, because overall team speed on defefnse can stop the leser athlete.

 

 

Does this mean that I want it back.....not necessarily..... I like BC's offense... It is fun to watch and we always have the opportunity to pick up the 3rd and 10, and the chance to score quickly in a come from behind chance.

[California Husker]

Most of you are going to disagree with me, but the option would still work today...... If Tom Osborne was the HC, there is absolutely NO DOUBT in my mind that NU would still be the dynasty it was..... The option can and does work !!!! The reason why it fell apart at NU is because Frank could not recruit.... TO would still be able to bring "top notch" athletes to fit his system !!!!! If you try to run the option with lesser talent than Crouch, Frost, Frazier........ Phillips, Green, Mackovicas at FB, then the system doesn't work (ie Solich)....

 

 

As a football coach, I know that the more difficult you make it for an opponent to prepare for you, you have "won" the practice week...... In today's West Coast, spread NCAA, teams would have NO chance to prepare for the option vs TO caliber athletes..... It is impossible for a team to practice for only a week to develop the discipline it takes to stop the well run option......

 

Now, under Solich, with lesser talent, you don't need as much discipline, because overall team speed on defefnse can stop the leser athlete.

 

 

Does this mean that I want it back.....not necessarily..... I like BC's offense... It is fun to watch and we always have the opportunity to pick up the 3rd and 10, and the chance to score quickly in a come from behind chance.

 

Others may disagree with you Hanc, but with me, you are singing to the choir! It's not THAT Solich ran the option...it's HOW Solich ran the option, that made it seem antiquated.

[Bleedin_Red]

As I have said in a previous thread, if you watched the greatest ever match-ups on ESPN rescently, Barry Switzer said it would work for sure! As HANC just said, if you recruit top notch athletes to run the option, the system will work. I dont think it matters what system is in place, if you have the athletes, and the right coach to run the system, it will be effective. Switzer did say that his Wishbone would not be as effective today, but that if he were to go back to coaching college football, he would coach Osbornes style of option football that was ran in the 90's.

 

Im not bagging on B.C. or anything, just think that had Solich been able to recruit the right players, the option still could be effective. Dont tell me that there wasnt speed on defense like there is today, because many of todays top NFL players are from the mid to late 90's college teams, proving that there is was just as much speed then as there is in todays college game!

[DaveH]

The option and will it work thread take 135252593412345 - ACTION!

 

[chuckd]

TO's version of the option would still work today, no doubt. The only real problem he would have would be getting a top notch QB to run it. Today, the Tommie Fraziers of the world play another position because they know it will get them to the NFL.

 

However, and I'm sure I will get blasted for this, I don't think TO would be all that successful if he were to come back. First of all, things have changed since he retired, some things pretty significantly. Secondly, Tom is even older now than he was then, and the stress of coaching in college takes a toll even on young guys (Joe Pa and Bowden have obviously lessened their role in the actual operations) Lastly, I think it would be rather hard for Tom to assemble a staff anywhere near what he had when he retired.

 

What I am getting at is we should be happy that we had an offense as great as we did in the 90's. When it was run right, it was a thing of beauty. However, when TO left, so did his offense. Anyone that thinks what Frank ran was what TO ran is crazy. TO's offense was predicated on a great RB (then when we had TF, it was unstopable) Frank's was ALL on the QB and Crouch served as a mask as to how one diminsional the offense really was.

 

Sorry folks, but the option (at least as we knew it) is gone and it's not coming back. Tom is not coming back. We should be greatful for having been able to see it, but it is in the past. The option is not "Nebraska Football" but it was a big part of it for a long time. Nebraska Football is bigger than one coach, one player, one team, or one offense. It is over 100 years of tradition, players, coaches, and fans and it will go on for another 100 years, regradless of what offense we run.

[Touchdown Tommie]

I just don't think it would today....not as a base offense. You can recruit all of the top athletes, but as we all have read, college recruits are looking to make it to the NFL....the option will not get them there. At least the top high school QBs would not come here b/c there are not too many option QBs in the league right now.

TO ran it very well and called a good game on a consistent basis. Maybe TO could tell that that college game was on the verge of a major change and got out when he was on top. I would have hated for him to go out when it was too late...case and point, Bowden and Joe Pa.

[MCAT800]

Tim Tebo was the top qb last year out of HS right??

He went to Florida, Urban Meyer's base offense is the option, maybe not under center but option is option.

Troy Smith, Vince Young, heck even Louisville runs zone reads out of it to just give the defense one more thing to worry about.

You want to keep those D coordinators heads spinning.

IMO TO's offense created a lot more headaches for D coordinators then BC's.

When I go to coaching clinics most all college and pro coaches talk about the difficulty in running the WCO in college because it plays directly into the strengths of college D's.

Not to mention the preparation required for the players, not to many young guys can excell.

It was tough enough for me under Creehan at USD to learn the Wing-T and now as a coach it seems so simple.

[CoachKevin]

I have never heard or read another Coach say the option will not work.

I have only heard Media and general fans claim it.

The 80's they were saying it about Osbourns Offense. Was the same arguement about speed.

[tattooedhusker]

It died for a reason, move on

 

 

Tim Tebo was the top qb last year out of HS right??

He went to Florida, Urban Meyer's base offense is the option, maybe not under center but option is option.

Troy Smith, Vince Young, heck even Louisville runs zone reads out of it to just give the defense one more thing to worry about.

You want to keep those D coordinators heads spinning.

IMO TO's offense created a lot more headaches for D coordinators then BC's.

When I go to coaching clinics most all college and pro coaches talk about the difficulty in running the WCO in college because it plays directly into the strengths of college D's.

Not to mention the preparation required for the players, not to many young guys can excell.

It was tough enough for me under Creehan at USD to learn the Wing-T and now as a coach it seems so simple.