Does Pro Style only work with supreme talent????

ColoradoHusk said:
Wisconsin is actually able to run the ball and they consistently have NFL linemen and NFL RB's.  NU has no idea what it's like to run the ball under Riley, Langsdorf, and Cavanaugh.

Iowa's offense is usually pretty mediocre, even with NFL linemen.

Michigan State's offense was it's best a few years ago with NFL QB's, WR's, and RB's.

So, just like the title of the thread, a pro-style offense requires supreme talent, either on the line, at QB, at WR, at RB or most of the above.
Click to expand...
Yea but these teams aren't recruiting "supreme talent" to be successful by any means. They know what players will work in their system and they coach the guys up to do it. If we had a coach who could do this we could run pro style and be fine. I think this team and staff now could run the simplest spread offense designed for undertalented squads and still look like crap out there at this point.

We have better baseline talent than all the teams mentioned yet they seem to still have more success than us. I think the key to running a pro scheme in college is relying on a punishing run game and not a great QB. This will always keep you competitive and then when you do get a great QB you can go even further. We are trying to do the opposite and rely on QB play which will not work. I was really hoping we would lean on the run primarily when our line was back healthy, sadly I was wrong. 

 
ColoradoHusk said:
The problem with a "pro-style" offense, especially the way Riley and Langsdorf run it is that it doesn't have an identity.  When there is a tough game where the offense needs to step back and say "we are going to do what we do best", there isn't a specific thing that they can go to.

Wisconsin does have an identity, where they are going to rely on running the ball and being physical with their o-line.  They let NU back in the game last year when they let their QB try to make a couple plays and he threw 2 INT's.
Click to expand...
Agreed. Plenty of teams run "pro style" but takes elements from the "spread" or "air raid." Nebraska seems to be running the 1999 New York Giants offense but doesn't have the right pieces. That's why they continue to run screens to the running back, even though it's worked about three times since Riley got here.

 
It may not be a simple as "do pro-style offenses work in the college game", but I do know that whatever Langsdorf and Riley want to run isn't working at Nebraska.

Year 1 - Riley and Langsdorf tried to run the offense "their way", mistakes and turnovers reigned supreme, NU has a 6-7 season.

Year 2 - Riley and Langsdorf realize they can't pass it all over the place with Armstrong, dial things back a bit, rely more on the run (even when it's not working) and NU has a 9-4 season.

Year 3 - Riley and Langsdorf go back running the offense "their way" with a QB that is "their guy".  Offense goes back to unable to run the ball and mistakes in the passing game (sacks and INT's.)

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top