I would like to see more of the option next year

[Crazy Joey]

Would you? I think it would be awesome if shawn watson would use the option more next year. I think zac lee will be awesome running the option. He is supposed to be faster and more athletic than Joe. I cant wait to see other teams back on there heels they are going to have to respect the run and the pass.

 

[Blackshirtsguru]

The days of running the old triple option are long gone. I do think however, that we will see more of the shot gun QB option/spread.

 

[knapplc]

The days of running the old triple option are long gone. I do think however, that we will see more of the shot gun QB option/spread.

Georgia Tech and Navy have been running it recently, with some success. It's not like we couldn't run the Option here again, and have it work. It's a completely viable offensive system with the correct personnel. We just don't have the correct personnel, and the way it looks, we're not about to go out and get them anytime soon. Watson's offense controls the clock, moves the ball and puts points on the board. If it ain't broke...

I would agree that ZLee seems like a much better fit for the Option than Ganzy. It was ugly when Ganz would run it - he's just not an Option quarterback, and especially here, running it ugly is not a good thing. We'll see some Option again this year, just not a lot. If Spano is back and healthy and ready to step in we MIGHT see it a bit, but as thin as we are at QB this year, running your main signal-caller out there in harm's way isn't a good idea.

 

[jonnyhuska]

With all do respect... the option based offense is forever gone at Nebraska. Keep in mind offensive cordinators(Watson) are paid to win games and run the offense effectively. Face it.. the option is a dying art in which our current players have little skill running. However, Lee is supposively an effective runner so I guess we will see if an option hybrid is utilized. I assure you that Watson will not run the option to make a few fans happy and I wouldnt expect him to. I would look for more of the quarterback read and watch Lee scramble for a few yards here and there..keep in mind that we have a young quarterback crew and an injury to Lee would not be a good situation.

 

[huKSer]

Watson's offense controls the clock, moves the ball and puts points on the board. If it ain't broke...

. . . and can come from behind. This was my biggest complaint about the option - usually a hurry up offense was outside our comfort zone. Yes Brook did a couple of masterful jobs, but this was the exception to the rule. You almost needed to have a designated hurry up QB, which usually dictates to the defense what is coming.

 

[carlfense]

The days of running the old triple option are long gone. I do think however, that we will see more of the shot gun QB option/spread.

Georgia Tech and Navy have been running it recently, with some success. It's not like we couldn't run the Option here again, and have it work. It's a completely viable offensive system with the correct personnel. We just don't have the correct personnel, and the way it looks, we're not about to go out and get them anytime soon. Watson's offense controls the clock, moves the ball and puts points on the board. If it ain't broke...

I would agree that ZLee seems like a much better fit for the Option than Ganzy. It was ugly when Ganz would run it - he's just not an Option quarterback, and especially here, running it ugly is not a good thing. We'll see some Option again this year, just not a lot. If Spano is back and healthy and ready to step in we MIGHT see it a bit, but as thin as we are at QB this year, running your main signal-caller out there in harm's way isn't a good idea.

I think Ganz did a great job of running the zone read option. He didn't do quite as well when he'd run a true option but I think people focus too much on the knocked down pitch during the Gator Bowl. Ganz actually ran it fairly effectively for most of the year . . . even he didn't have blazing speed.

 

[Touchdown Tommie]

The option of the past is gone. If NU continues to sign the dual threat QBs they will run versions of the option that will open up other plays. I do miss watching the Huskers just run over teams, but after watching what Watson and co can do with the "new" offense I am very excited for the future.

 

[huskertim]

I agree we don't have the right atheltes to run the option like we once did. Too many people underestimate the complexity of option football, it's not just the QB who has to be praticed in the option, but the whole offense, timing is crucial to success.

Having said that, I don't believe the option is gone all together, zone read/QB read options are an effective part of the spread offenses we are seeing throughout the Big 12 and you will see them incorperated here as well.

 

[bbhusker]

I think we have the players to run the option if we wanted to but what we lack is an offensive staff as whole that is completely schooled in how to teach and run the option to perfection. I would have loved to see Helu back in the day in the old system. But the only two coaches with extensive option experience are Brown and Cotton and they couldn't teach everybody effectively enough to get the job done. The variations that we show every once and awhile now are enough to keep me happy.

 

[Alamo City Husker]

I think mixed in to the playbook about 15-20% of the time would be a wise move.

 

[knapplc]

Watson's offense controls the clock, moves the ball and puts points on the board. If it ain't broke...

. . . and can come from behind. This was my biggest complaint about the option - usually a hurry up offense was outside our comfort zone. Yes Brook did a couple of masterful jobs, but this was the exception to the rule. You almost needed to have a designated hurry up QB, which usually dictates to the defense what is coming.

Exactly.

Show of hands from everyone who thought we were done at Missouri in 1997, down seven with 1:17 or so to go in the game, and we had to drive 80 yards to tie. I know I did, and when Davison caught that freaky pass I'm sure the neighbors two houses down heard me screaming.

 

[knapplc]

I think Ganz did a great job of running the zone read option. He didn't do quite as well when he'd run a true option but I think people focus too much on the knocked down pitch during the Gator Bowl. Ganz actually ran it fairly effectively for most of the year . . . even he didn't have blazing speed.

Yeah, I would agree he was fine on the zone read. That pitch in the true Option is an underrated skill, though. Knowing when to pitch, when to keep, and how to sell the defender on making a commitment is an art form that takes more practice than we're spending in practice. The offense is so multiple right now that they just don't have time to perfect it.

I think the true Option we've been running is fine the way it is, in the amount that we sprinkle it in, with the skill level we run it at. The ability to effectively pass down field in passing situations when the defense is expecting it is the one HUGE advantage we have in this offense over Osborne's Option.

You can't argue with three MNC's in four years. Clearly it worked. But also, clearly, it's a bear to get the top personnel in to run it at such a high level as we ran it back in the day. It took TO 20-something years to get to that level. I'd hate to be celebrating Bo's first MNC in 2030.

 

[rkhufu7]

The days of running the old triple option are long gone. I do think however, that we will see more of the shot gun QB option/spread.

NU ran double option, not tipple option under TO. Run option and zone read and shovel pass.

 

[zoogs]

You almost needed to have a designated hurry up QB, which usually dictates to the defense what is coming.

To be fair, the hurry up O usually dictates to the defense what's coming.

I think mixed in to the playbook about 15-20% of the time would be a wise move.

How often did we run it before?

 

[Blackshirtsguru]

The days of running the old triple option are long gone. I do think however, that we will see more of the shot gun QB option/spread.

NU ran double option, not tipple option under TO. Run option and zone read and shovel pass.

Not to get into a pissing contest with ya, but Nebraska also ran the triple option under TO. We ran a lot out of the Veer (I formation) which in a nutshell was the triple option. Go look back at the formation Nebraska was in when Tommy Frazier broke all those tackles vs the Gators. If you look closely there was a fullback AND an I back lined up behind Tommy. The first option was to hand it to the FB. The second option was to pitch it to the IB. The third and final option was for the QB to keep it. Hence, the triple option.

See for yourself.

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