It's definitely a relative term. In principal it's designed to cause defenses to react horizontally with 3 or 4 very quick wide receivers plus the added threat of numerous running options. Everything from the triple option (Ga. Tech) to the speed option. In short defenses can't stack the line with extra defenders.Your quarterback better be able to run and pass under that definition. From there you decide how much you want of one as opposed to another. It looks like a lot of coaches are literally going from the running extreme (Vince Young) to the throwing extreme (Colt ).based not on philosophy of who we are as a team but quarterback talents alone.
I hate everything about the veer except the double pitch. I know it was fumble-prone and risky, but when it worked, it was fun.
Mike Tyson said it best "Everyone has a game plan till you get hit in the mouth". Coach Browns new found commitment to the running game will be on display not when their running against Baptist Southern and ahead by 5 touchdowns. When good teams try to take away what you try to establish in big games, then commitment will identify who you really are. When Tubberville went to the spread he brought in the spread OC guru but all the position coaches were the same old bunch. I can see why that was doomed. The only person who could teach the spread was Franklin. What a commitment. Miles says he wants a stronger running game. Saban keeps saying he wants a greater commitment to the passing game. I guess you are who you are particularly after you get" hit in the mouth."
The spread is anything but dead, but as pointed out earlier offensive schemes come and go. I think Brown is reacting to how his team performed against 2 smash mouth defenses. Barely pulling off the win against Neb and then losing to Bama. When the spread is met by blitzing defenses that have enough speed with their LB's and safeties so that receivers can't get quick seperation, the spread has problems. In a league with the speed there is on defense the run game has to be effective to open up the pass. Spreading out the D isn't as effective when your QB is running for his life. Trying to survive on short passes and short runs, with no down field ability will cause the spread offense to stall, as seen by us LSU fans last season.
If you say so, every time Bama see's ya'll we seem to get the spread run version. At that point throwing deep might have been piling on. Which makes me feel when Miles plays Bama we get his version of what he wants to see and probably what he's getting back too this year. The other times is your OC acting like he's still in Oregon. We have an OC willing to pass. It kept Florida in a constant state of confusion. Then Saban sometimes puts the brakes on too much as you witnessed against Texas. Spread or no spread nothing works perfectly, you just want the law of averages in your favor. Makes LSU and Texas spring games intriguing. I'll try to catch them either on ESPN or the college network.
Spread/Run would be more my interpretation of what Miles wants to do as well, but when the run game can't open up, at all, the rest tends to be ineffective. At least that is from my observation.
That's commitment, The players have to truly believe that's who they are. But everything breaks down in time, you can't play your best game every week. Plan B is you do have to show you can pass or that D-line is going to get very crowded. I'd rather have a power running game that plays with a mean streak, then trying to dominant with a finest passing game .Teams know it ain't that easy to beat a big, fast, athletic team. Most hate to play them. You got em, we'll see.
