The Duke
All-Conference
Many forget that Tom Osborne's offense had many elements of the Wing-T in his system.
The Wing-T is built on:
He numbered his backs as follows:
QB = Back
WB = 2 Back
FB = 3 Back
IB = 4 back
For Example: If Nebraska called "41 PITCH" that would mean the I-Back would carry the ball to the far right side of the field to the #1-hole where the receiver wide to the right is also the "1 receiver."
Osborne's offense also had elements of the Wishbone including:
**Many plays were built off of Nebraska's ISO play with the QB's reverse-pivot including their 32-38 option which was a reverse-pivot option by the QB. 32-38 Trap came off this option. 41-49 Pitch also has the same backfield action, but now gets the ball to the outside but without optioning a player. And then we're back to the ISO play where now it's the same backfield action but the I-back plows right into the middle of the line with the fullback leading the way.
Tom Osborne then had play-action passing plays off of all of these backfield actions. He also had a whole set of screen-passes as well.
Nebraska's Offense under Tom Osborne was NOT an Option-Offense.
Nebraska's Offense under Tom Osborne in the 1990's was a Multiple Power Rushing Offense with the option used only 15-20% of the time.
Nebraska never ran the full-on option offense like what you see the service academies run. They had similar plays, but Osborne's offense was never fully an option offense.
So when many say; "Let's go back to the option!"
What they really mean is: Let's go back to being a team that commits to running the football with a physical & powerful intention and do it in a variety of of ways.
And the option is absolutely NOT a "solved problem." To say that "it's never coming back" like what was mentioned earlier in this thread is frankly...and I respectfully say...just wrong.
The option is very much still around in all parts of college football. See Oregon and Ohio State just to name two! *Side note: Urban Meyer's offenses at Utah, Florida, & Ohio State also had elements of Wing-T and old-school Nebraska, he just did it from the shotgun.
Teams are running: read-options, mid-line, dart, bash, speed-option, etc.
The option again is not a "solved problem" - It can be an equalizer for certain teams and a game changer for others.
For Nebraska moving forward I would love to see them bring back the Speed Option more into the offense. It's a simple play that can be added to most formations and would fit well with the shotgun formations that Nebraska has liked to utilize.
I would also be intrigued to see Nebraska bring back elements of a power running game with a lead blocker like our old ISO & pitch plays from the I-formation.
IN CLOSING:
There is a reason Tom Osborne believed in using a heavy rushing attack with option elements. For one example see the heavy wind from this past weekend. In today's modern football you also need to be able to throw the ball too. Nebraska under Matt Rhule now has to adjust their approach starting now going into bowl-prep, the offseason and next season. It needs to become a tougher and much more physical offense where we are delivering the blows to the opponent at-will with a multiple rushing attack. It doesn't need to be a full on option offense, but having a few more of those option plays in the playbook that are used on a basis around 10-20% would be nice.
The Wing-T is built on:
- Misdirection
- Similar looking plays to confuse the defense - Make Different runs appear the same
- Deception with Motion & Fakes
- Multiple options to distribute the football
He numbered his backs as follows:
QB = Back
WB = 2 Back
FB = 3 Back
IB = 4 back
For Example: If Nebraska called "41 PITCH" that would mean the I-Back would carry the ball to the far right side of the field to the #1-hole where the receiver wide to the right is also the "1 receiver."
Osborne's offense also had elements of the Wishbone including:
- Option plays. Most wishbone teams relied on the Triple Option. (Most of Nebraska options plays under Osborne were Double-Option that looked like triple option.)
- Trap Blocking
- Misdirection
- Inside & Outside Zone
- Counter Sweep & Counter Trap (which Osborne & Milt Tenopir created)
- Pitch plays
- Draws
- ISO (isolating a Fullback or other blocker on a linebacker)
**Many plays were built off of Nebraska's ISO play with the QB's reverse-pivot including their 32-38 option which was a reverse-pivot option by the QB. 32-38 Trap came off this option. 41-49 Pitch also has the same backfield action, but now gets the ball to the outside but without optioning a player. And then we're back to the ISO play where now it's the same backfield action but the I-back plows right into the middle of the line with the fullback leading the way.
Tom Osborne then had play-action passing plays off of all of these backfield actions. He also had a whole set of screen-passes as well.
Nebraska's Offense under Tom Osborne was NOT an Option-Offense.
Nebraska's Offense under Tom Osborne in the 1990's was a Multiple Power Rushing Offense with the option used only 15-20% of the time.
Nebraska never ran the full-on option offense like what you see the service academies run. They had similar plays, but Osborne's offense was never fully an option offense.
So when many say; "Let's go back to the option!"
What they really mean is: Let's go back to being a team that commits to running the football with a physical & powerful intention and do it in a variety of of ways.
And the option is absolutely NOT a "solved problem." To say that "it's never coming back" like what was mentioned earlier in this thread is frankly...and I respectfully say...just wrong.
The option is very much still around in all parts of college football. See Oregon and Ohio State just to name two! *Side note: Urban Meyer's offenses at Utah, Florida, & Ohio State also had elements of Wing-T and old-school Nebraska, he just did it from the shotgun.
Teams are running: read-options, mid-line, dart, bash, speed-option, etc.
The option again is not a "solved problem" - It can be an equalizer for certain teams and a game changer for others.
For Nebraska moving forward I would love to see them bring back the Speed Option more into the offense. It's a simple play that can be added to most formations and would fit well with the shotgun formations that Nebraska has liked to utilize.
I would also be intrigued to see Nebraska bring back elements of a power running game with a lead blocker like our old ISO & pitch plays from the I-formation.
IN CLOSING:
There is a reason Tom Osborne believed in using a heavy rushing attack with option elements. For one example see the heavy wind from this past weekend. In today's modern football you also need to be able to throw the ball too. Nebraska under Matt Rhule now has to adjust their approach starting now going into bowl-prep, the offseason and next season. It needs to become a tougher and much more physical offense where we are delivering the blows to the opponent at-will with a multiple rushing attack. It doesn't need to be a full on option offense, but having a few more of those option plays in the playbook that are used on a basis around 10-20% would be nice.
