I have commented many times while watching LSU run the option that JJ doesn't do a very good job at all in decision making on that play. He tends to string it out way too far wide in most instances and puts the back in a poor position to do anything with the pitch. He tends to miss the run lanes when he keeps it and relies upon his speed to always outrun the defense to the outside rather than find the blocks to turn it upfield more often before getting out to the sideline. Maybe his HS coach didn't teach him to run the play properly, he's never run it before, or he's used to being much faster than everyone else, but our execution of it is poor. I've never seen an effective fake pitch, and this past week was the first time I've seen him make a very late pitch after getting the defender to commit to him and leave the RB. It's nothing that coaching cant fix. I agree with you OP, we should have enough plays available that there's not a need to run it so often to the short side of the field. Particularly with the wway JJ always takes it very wide.
It's Football 101. Defenses line up to stop a dangerous runner to the wide side of the field, trying to make it almost impossible to run a wide play to the wide side of the field while still trying to make sure their defense to the short side of the field is still sound.
