What Kind of Offense Are We Really Trying to Run?

[Thanks_Tom RR]

A WR can leave without giving any hint to the type of offense Nebraska will run.

Grim was a highly productive HS WR (Cali record holder for most receiving yds). His departure could be more about his perceived role on the team (assuming his was not going to be the defacto #1 WR target) and his temperament (assuming he struggled to accept a lessor role than in HS). This does not point to an offensive style but more how someone perceives their role within the offense.

Look at Westy, another highly prolific HS player that showed more patience in a running offense as the a back-up, then the #2 or #3 option, and now #1. If you take the most prolific HS WR in Illinois history and put him on Nebraska and he stays for his career, does that mean we are going to be a passing offense? Not really, just that he is willing to play his role on the team (whatever that entails).

 

[Elf]

Is a 21 pitch out of different formations still a 21 pitch? Not sure why you guys are trying to infer that I think Osborne wasn't a innovator? I think he was a genius. And again I'm not against the forward pass. I'm actually a fan when it's used properly. But it's my opinion that coaches today are always trying to outsmart the other team and end up leaving points on the field.

You're right, a 21 pitch is still a 21 pitch. However, the post you quoted implied that Osborne simply ran a few select plays until the opponent could stop them. He sorta did, but his offense was also far more complex than that.

The bolded part of your post implies that many teams might not be utilizing the pass properly. Pray tell, in your opinion, how do you utilize the pass properly?

 

[BRV920]

By pounding the rock until the opponent is forced to stack the box and then hitting them with play action passes. Basically Osbornes offense with or without the option.

 

[GBRFAN]

How about we look at facts on this instead of just going with everyone's feelings on what they'll run or what they did run at Oregon State?

2014 - 472 pass (3305 yards), 376 rush (1417 yards)(RB committee) - 56% pass to 44% run
2013 - 625 pass (4844 yards), 355 rush (1227 yards) (RB committee) - 64% pass to 36% run
2012 - 504 pass (3992 yards), 442 rush (1617 yards) (Storm Barrs Woods almos 1k) - 53% pass to 47% run
2011 - 503 pass (3441 yards), 318 rush (143 yards) (RB committee) - 61% pass to 39% run
2010 - 375 pass (2483 yards), 384 rush (1435 yards) (Jacquizz Rodgers 1184) - 49% pass to 51% run
2009 - 478 pass (3520 yards), 440 rush (1818 yards) (Jacquizz Rodgers 1440) - 52% pass to 48% run
2008 - 448 pass (3237 yards), 487 rush (2055 yards) (Jacquizz Rodgers 1253) - 48% pass to 52% run
2007 - 438 pass (2557 yards), 541 rush (2274 yards) (Yvenson Bernard 1214) - 45% pass to 55% run
2006 - 425 pass (3393 yards), 474 rush (1655 yards) (Yvenson Bernard 1307) - 47% pass to 53% run
2005 - 459 pass (3261 yards), 415 rush (1348 yards) (Yvenson Bernard 1321) - 52% pass to 48% run


Went back with the last 10 years of stats for Mike Riley at Oregon State. 4 out of 10 seasons they ran more than they passed (2006, 2007, 2008, 2010). In those seasons, they had a bell cow running back that they stuck behind who was talented enough to rush for over 1k yards. When they didn't have this, they passed more...but only slightly more. They passed a heckuva lot more when they had a great QB and good receivers in later years.



By all means, continue to think that Nebraska will be the next air raid offense with 50 attempts every game. The statistics don't support that. They support that we'll be an offense that uses their best offensive weapon the most...whether that be the recievers/QB or the RB.

Please delete this information - you have ruined all chance of pass happy rumors.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

By pounding the rock until the opponent is forced to stack the box and then hitting them with play action passes. Basically Osbornes offense with or without the option.

This worked very well for Osborne at least 7 games a year, when Nebraska could physically dominate lesser teams who already knew they had to stack the box. I'm sure a few couldn't have stopped Nebraska even if they had our playbook. We simply aren't that team any more, and college football has changed a bit. A lot of teams play "stop-the-run-first" defense, and it shows.

I think some people remember the "too cute" plays -- perhaps passing on a third and two, or on first down, or on three consecutive plays -- but they don't remember the running plays that got stuffed. There were plenty of games between Watson, Beck, Langsdorf and even Osborne where defenses made the proper adjustments, and the running plays that worked in the first quarter weren't working in the second.

Between going "too cute" and going "too conservative" you are guaranteed to be second guessed.

Some of those cute plays actually worked pretty well.

Winning cures everything.

 

[BRV920]

So what you are saying is that Osbornes offense won't work In Todays college game? I'll agree that Osborne would run up against some teams that had his number but very rarely did we lose to the Purdues and Illinois of the world. If you like the direction our offense is headed good for you. I don't share that view and never will.

 

[Mavric]

A WR can leave without giving any hint to the type of offense Nebraska will run.

Grim was a highly productive HS WR (Cali record holder for most receiving yds). His departure could be more about his perceived role on the team (assuming his was not going to be the defacto #1 WR target) and his temperament (assuming he struggled to accept a lessor role than in HS). This does not point to an offensive style but more how someone perceives their role within the offense.

Look at Westy, another highly prolific HS player that showed more patience in a running offense as the a back-up, then the #2 or #3 option, and now #1. If you take the most prolific HS WR in Illinois history and put him on Nebraska and he stays for his career, does that mean we are going to be a passing offense? Not really, just that he is willing to play his role on the team (whatever that entails).

I mean ... technically this is correct. But in this he he specifically said that one of the main reason he left was we weren't running the kind of offense that we told him we'd be running.

Now you can choose not to believe him but other than that this comment doesn't seem to be very relevant to this discussion.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

So what you are saying is that Osbornes offense won't work In Todays college game? I'll agree that Osborne would run up against some teams that had his number but very rarely did we lose to the Purdues and Illinois of the world. If you like the direction our offense is headed good for you. I don't share that view and never will.

I have yet to find anyone who wants to keep losing to Purdue and Illinois.

Osborne's offense -- like most other offenses -- benefitted from consistently superior offensive lines. When you announce your intention to run, that line better be among the best in the nation. Saying "pound the rock!" is always easier said than done. The best teams in college football today still run the ball plenty and will do so as much as they can, but since good defenses stop the run first, these teams still pass the ball around 30 times a game. It's good football.

And we might not be fretting about the offense at all if the Nebraska defense was giving up 12 points a game as opposed to 27. Osborne's offense looked a lot better when Osborne's defense kept getting them the ball back.

 

[BRV920]

So Osborne had 25 superior line classes in a row? I'll agree that once the defense came around we were the most dominate team in college football but for 20 years Osborne managed to win at least 9 games a year with a very average defense. If you are trying to tell me that teams now days can't do that Guy are 100% dead wrong. Go back and watch Baylors last 2 games from last season.

 

[Redux]

Why are we debating Osborne's offense?

 

[BRV920]

Ask Guy, all I did was comment on how I liked Osbornes play calling.

 

[adc7236]

Instead of adding anything to the analysis, I will just keep it simple with a very basic answer to the question.....what kind of offense we will run?

One that scores.

-It could look different on each Saturday depending on opponent, individual performance, injuries and weather.

 

[Guy Chamberlin]

So Osborne had 25 superior line classes in a row? I'll agree that once the defense came around we were the most dominate team in college football but for 20 years Osborne managed to win at least 9 games a year with a very average defense. If you are trying to tell me that teams now days can't do that Guy are 100% dead wrong. Go back and watch Baylors last 2 games from last season.

If you go by All-Conference, All-Americans and Lombardi and Outland Award winners than yeah, Osborne had a pretty good run with dominating offensive lines. It also showed in their dominating run offense, which was not achieved simply by running the ball a lot, but by recruiting specifically for a rushing offense. Nebraska was a destination for offensive linemen. But it hardly happened overnight. Really not sure what you're disagreeing with here.

And "average defense?" Don't know about that, either. Nebraska's defense made a huge difference during our 40 year run of excellence. I'm not sure what teams you are choosing to remember, but great Nebraska defenses gave up only 8.0 points a game while the lesser Nebraska defenses still gave up only 14 points a game. Compare that to the 26+ ppg Nebraska defenses have given up in recent years and you can appreciate the difference that makes in the offense you run and the games you don't win.

 

[Elf]

By pounding the rock until the opponent is forced to stack the box and then hitting them with play action passes. Basically Osbornes offense with or without the option.

Sometimes, the opposing team stacked the box from the very first play and when your passing game isn't a credible threat (Osborne's wasn't always) then you get yourself in trouble.

 

[Elf]

So Osborne had 25 superior line classes in a row? I'll agree that once the defense came around we were the most dominate team in college football but for 20 years Osborne managed to win at least 9 games a year with a very average defense. If you are trying to tell me that teams now days can't do that Guy are 100% dead wrong. Go back and watch Baylors last 2 games from last season.

There is a reason why our O line used to be called the Pipeline and it's because of just how good our offensive line was year in and year out. Milt Tenopir is one of the best offensive line coaches ever and we benefited from his coaching for many years. And, as a side note, I actually went to school with one of his daughters.