Summa Spreadologiae

What evidence do you have that Applewhite is any different/better than Davis?

You know, other than the fact that it’s tough to be below the floor.

Great point about tempo and how it affects inferior talent. I felt like our tempo slowed last season and I often wondered if our offense sputtered where it should have zoomed. I’ve always felt that when teams run a no-huddle spread attack, it doesnt give the defense a chance to adjust (or breathe). As much as it pains me to say, the first couple of OU drives this year was a textbook example of how to attack offensively.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go wash my mouth out with soap.

I have to wonder if it’s also not time to question the Mushcamp to HC decision; fait accompli? Ethical questions aside, is he the best person to take this program for the next 10 years+? Perhaps this complete destruction of what had been wrought is an opportunity to revisit that decision? I think I still lean to yes (and don’t really have alternatives to offer) but recognize he is far from a finished product.

And although I’m soundly in the camp with Gilbert as a kid with a ton of potential trapped in GD GD’s quagmire, I have to question if right now he should be in the category of a kid who throws well. I probably like him better as a runner right now. His timing, touch, windup, footwork – all in serious need of some effective coaching.

Interesting comment about GD GD being ‘bitter’ as second fiddle to Muschamp. I usually view him as too much of a sloth to care about shit like that, but there could be some real truth to that.

Still do not understand Williams’ decision to transfer. Doesn’t really make sense on paper, as the opportunity and minutes should be there. Have to assume it’s for reasons the rest of us can’t see.

Black Scholes, good points. I’m wondering if shaun was fitting into the “world” that the basketball team is pitting themselves mentally against.

I believe that would be Themistobarnes.

“since the spread is clearly the best offense in football”

The best offense I’ve ever seen in my life was the USC ‘05 offense. The reason why we won was Vince Young, but it’s also because we had a better, deeper and more experienced defense that made plays (remember the Ting brothers or whatever). Make no mistake, that offense was formidable.

I think the metric we need to consider for “the best offense” is one that gives you the best chance to win, not just rack up stats or even score points. When you see pace-adjusted stats and efficiency, spread offenses are less impressive at times.

I do think Kevin Wilson’s system is pretty amazing and could be the best system given a deeper OU team. If you were deep on both sides of the ball, increasing plays is obviously the way to go. I also think of them more as a multiple-offense, rather than a spread, since they do run a balance of plays under center and use traditional TE’s and FB’s.

I think their o-line talent/depth has betrayed them and they’ve had issues in the secondary (and with coaching). Still, I long for a hungry offensive staff that would optimize our talent to new levels.

No one can point to any hard data that MA is a good coach or a good recruiter. The only hard data we have that he is not a good OC is that he was fired by Saban.

I take all the hearsay, opinion and folk lore for what it is really worth. Nothing. Zip. Nada.

Show me the data.

Bill – Let me know when you are going to start spraying horse manure willy nilly like that again. I’ll get my Gallagher concert wear on.

You forget Andy Dalton as a quarterback who can throw and is an effective runner.

You are being kind to say Russell Sheppard is okay throwing the ball.

Justin Fuente is a name to consider and I am not convinced that the thread is the best offense. I think it requires the least pieces to make it work.

What is this “Bassquette Bowl” you write of?

I would agree that the thread offense is not best, seeing as that is what GD’s offense, and the season, always hangs by.

If Mack does not get Davis out. We will loose Muschamp and Applewhite and the people they have recruited in the future. We have definately got a problem with Mack. I fear that he has lost touch with the problems of this program. He looks to the future being Muschamp. If he does not get a new OC that Muschamp agrees with Muschamp will be gone in December or Janurary. Listen people this could get very Bad. I am afraid Mack cares more about friendship than this program and its future.

The bad football makes me unhappy.

I am afraid Mack cares more about friendship than this program and its future.

What was your first clue?

Can we talk about the headline and how that got through our phalanx of journalism interns?

I want to completely immerse myself in basketball but the current state of the football program just weighs so heavily on my mind and soul.

Gilbert doesn’t throw well. Robert Griffin isn’t a Great One. Colt ran well and threw well.

Disagree on the Spread, if you want to win MNC’S. The Spread can get crushed on any given Saturday, as it relies soooo darn much on the QB. It also doesn’t Establish the Run. Yes when properly executed it scores points, but it is unpredictable and is an equalizer for teams of lesser talent. We are trying to be Air Coogs, when we should be Wisconsin with better athletes.

Eskimohorn the reason we won that game was due to Vince Young and some inexplicable decision making by USC. Our defense was better than theirs, but it wasn’t saying much. No body wants to say it, I will USC was the better team and should have won the game. They led by 12 points in the fourth quarter. People seem to forget that. Our defense made about two plays that game. Our defense with the talent we had in the secondary and on the defensive line woefully underachieved in my opinion. The ’04 defense was the best defense Mack had pre-Muschamp. It was mostly due to our mediocre line backing play. We got torched by Aggy, Oklahoma State, and Justin Zwick. The rest of the schedule was full of mediocre offenses.

By the way that ’SC offense was the best I have ever seen

Bill, I know someone who interviewed with Sabab for the OC job at Bama. When Saban asked him about his offensive philosophy he said he wanted to be balanced between Run/Pass. He could tell that was not the answer Saban was looking for and then Saban told him he wanted to run the ball alot more than throw it. Eat the clock, play good D and special teams. This is a long way of saying you can’t judge what Major did at Bama as if he true autonomy to run the offense. It also explains why he left after 1 year. Given your current situation with Davis, I don’t know how much influence he has now. From what I’ve read on Aggie sites, he does hit the recruiting trail hard and goes to a lot of high school games. Other than that you can’t say much either way as you really haven’t seen him running the show.

We need another petition to Belmont to fire GDGD.

OK. I promise not to lose it this time.

Is this Heaven?

No. It’s Iowa.

So what you’re saying… Is that GDGD needs to be fired immediately?

Call the best play in the world.

Or I’ll eat your soul.

Griffin right now isn’t nearly as accurate as Vince was. During the Baylor game I remember thinking after Griffin missed on several throws, that’s why VY was so great. There have may been better running quarterbacks and there have been better passing quarterbacks, but no qb in college football history was as good at both as Vince was.

One thing that Mack said when he first came here is that he converted over to the pro style offensive philosophy while at UNC in order to help in recruiting. His theory was that in order to get the best athletes, you needed to be running a pro style scheme since those kids wanted to be ready to jump to the next level.

Of course those days were prior to the popularity and sophistication of modern spread offenses. So things have changed. It does make me wonder, however, if a competently run pro style offense might not be still our best future, provided that we had superior athletes to operate it. It certainly has done well for Jim Harbaugh at Stanford, with far fewer recruiting stars beside the names of the players on their roster.

BTW, I wouldn’t mind seeing Harbaugh succeeding Mack here, if Will decides to leave for UGA or elsewhere.

The Evolution of Mack Brown:
Injector of Lifeblood into a Once Great Program – Coach February – MNC Winner – Bridesmaid – Selfish Asshole

Mack Brown giveth and Mack Brown taketh away.

Mack Brown:2010 Texas Football::Jeff Skilling:2001 Enron
Regardless of what logic, reality, and common sense reveal, the old man from Tennessee believes that he is (by far) the smartest guy in the room. That belief/attitude makes Mr. Brown an extreme threat to Longhorn, Inc.

At this point, complete disaster – either finishing 4-8 or being humiliated by both OSU and TAMU – offers the best chance for meaningful change within Moncrief-Neuhaus.

You go to Gallagher concerts?

VY is leading the AFC in passer rating, fyi.

Kilgore Trout has a good take on Saban/Applewhite. It just wasn’t a good fit. I tend to focus on the fact that Saban hired him in the first place.

Shepard is one horrendous passer of the football. The kid at Oregon runs well and throws well.

For me right now on offense the reference standard is Oregon. Its not just what they do but how they are doing it.

I am not a film breakdown guy but from what I have seen they are the best executing team in the country and I would submit the best conditioned.

As for mobile QBs some interesting stats. Most would call Darron Thomas at Oregon a mobile QB. He has 400 yards rushing to GG’s 269. That gap is even smaller when you consider that GG has all that in the last four games.

You dont have to have a QB who can take it to the house. He has to be a threat to move the chains. Unfortunately if your QB is your only running threat, that is more difficult.

“There have may been better running quarterbacks”

Couldn’t disagree more.

Look no further then Okie State to see what a difference a good OC can make. They were picked to finish somewhere near the bottom of the B12 south…Holgorsen has the offense humming, and it’s contagious to the rest of the team, it makes everyone pick up their level of play. The same thing is happening at TAMU, Tannehill comes in and beathes new life into their offense and suddenly the defense plays with some fire. Maybe it shouldn’t be that way, but it is… emotion plays a huge role in college football. Preaching to the choir here…

“A lot of people would surely like for Texas to target Holgorsen from our upcoming opponent and if he bests Muschamp in round 1 for the top young coordinator belt that will surely increase that sentiment. For me, while he is clearly very flexible and inventive I’m guessing he would not push Texas in the direction of running-based football where I think we should be heading.”

My guess is that he is going to get a HC offer somewhere… I’m also in the group of “not being sold on the spread” as the offense of choice.

I don’t see any evidence of the spread being the end-all best option for an offense. Several schools have been successful and are being successful right now with pro and/or run centric offenses.

What I wish we had was an offense that would take FULL advantage of our recruiting strengths. I want deep throws down the field, I want lots of running the ball in the middle of the field, I want plays designed to get quick scat-backs/big receivers the ball in isos or space, and I want a good to great-throwing quarterback who can run.

No reason we can’t have an offense that features all of the above. Truly, if you were to take the players we have on offense right now and design an offense to balance run/pass and fit our current players, we would have success. I can’t guarantee undefeated, but I can guarantee a Texas-standard team.

Examples of some basic rules and playcalls: Kirkendoll, Malcolm never get WR screens. JK falls down untouched, Malcolm not consistent enough with his hands. Let him drop 1 out of 3 30yd bombs, not 2yd swings. WR screens only to Goodwin (if he plays), Davis, and Hales. Motion Goodwin and Hales into backfield occasionally. 2 WR screens MAX per half.

Cody runs primarily in middle, DJ and Fozzy primarily outside, counter, Cody with 260lb fullback action, DJ never in for blocking – either running or swinging out. No TEs on the field. can mix in Hopkins or Kelly as a blocking TE, 2 RB and 4 WR sets. Throw deep to our fast but lacking hands receivers. Roll out Gilbert. Don’t play Goodwin if he won’t block unless called WR screen or reverse. Don’t play Kirkendoll unless obvious and important passing down.

Looking at the pieces that we have, there are not many Big12 teams I would trade our offensive players for, if any with future potential. It’s a shame we couldn’t have “ONCE” actually tried the offense we discussed for the season. Rice and Wyoming, we didn’t throw deep and open it up for Gilbert. Then the moment we were in trouble, we threw and threw up all over the place.

FWIW – Muschamp’s brother Mike is a Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator at a high school in Atlanta, GA. Will talks to Mike often. Mike runs the spread.

I watched an Applewhite-coordinated offense at Rice, in person. He is a smart play caller. Or at least he was in that instance. He knew what his players did well and called games thusly. He also used the idea of surprise, a little known concept around here. Anybody who thinks he could do worse than what we currently have is either blind or, sorry to say, not very bright when it comes to football.

But, it’s NOT going to happen. GD will NOT be fired, unless Mack leaves too. If you can’t see that then you are deaf or, sorry to say, not very bright when it comes to understanding people.

The people arguing with NR’s statement about spreads don’t understand what a spread is. USC in 2004 was the last non-spread MNC. NFL teams are transitioning to spread offenses. There are a lot of spread offenses to choose from.

Thanks Heugatter, exactly.

For everyone dissing the spread in regards to it being “able to be shut down any given saturday” (like just about every offense) and not “able to establish a running game.”

Exactly how many more championships does Florida need to win using a run-heavy spread? 2 in 3 years didn’t do it for you? Did y’all watch the Vince Young Longhorns? Which feature would you describe as more integral to our success, running or passing?

Technically the spread is not an offense, it’s a formation that can be applied to most offensive concepts. My argument is that we should have an offense that utilizes spread formations and concepts that match it well.

When I said you can recruit to any offense at Texas I was thinking of Peterson or Harbaugh’s schemes but it would require excellent positional coaching and strength and conditioning because there aren’t a lot of elite-level fullbacks, tight ends and other auxiliary units essential to the “pro-style” offense which is usually just a power run/play action offense. You have to build those guys. Easier to get a dual-threat QB who has been groomed on Texas 7-on-7 contests and base around zone-read. Rely on the depth of the talent to cover you in the event of QB injury. That’s why we do that…

If I recall correctly the 2005 Vince Horns only passed about 33% of the time.

Vince still had 3000 passing. Theres your run heavy spread.