Over the last couple of years, particularly while researching and writing my book… …I developed a theory that the college football playoffs essentially come down to which teams have the best spread passing attacks. I reference this theory all the time here, at Football Outsiders, and at Inside Texas but I haven’t fleshed out the … [Read more…]
Almost everyone runs the spread now. Using multiple receivers, spacing, and the forward pass as the key components to your offensive strategy is pretty well accepted now as a best practice. The hurry-up, no-huddle (HUNH) is also close to being accepted as a best practice. Obviously Kansas State is out here running A-gap power from … [Read more…]
Even Ohio State is coming to be more influenced by it after hiring former Kelly QB coach Ryan Day last year as their new QB coach and then this year making him the real OC over Kevin Wilson. I broke some of that transition down over at SB Nation. Chip Kelly is going to go … [Read more…]
I recently got this excellent question from a reader named Cole about the reality of “pro-style” systems in college and which programs actually prepare offensive players for the NFL: Mr Boyd, I was hoping you could tell me, in your opinion, which colleges are currently running a pro-style offense? I enjoy reading your football analysis. … [Read more…]
Over at SB Nation I have some thoughts up on Chip Kelly’s return to the college game, which has been timed with Philly winning the Super Bowl while embracing many of his tactics and ideas. Pro-style offenses these days tend to use RPOs, because why not read a defender on a running play for an … [Read more…]
My man Bill Connelly (@SBN_BillC) has made it to the upper tiers of the 2017 Big 10 in his annual preview of every single team in college football. If you don’t track this series every year I don’t really know what’s wrong with you because it’s a fantastic, ongoing stat-based historical of every team in … [Read more…]
Is up at Inside Texas, if you follow this link. Interestingly, Texas and Baylor are both pursuing similar paths to dominance in the Big 12. The Bears are mixing modern pro-style offense (drop back passing with 11 personnel) with a 22 personnel jumbo set for when they need to run the ball. That might work…I … [Read more…]
Florida’s offense the last few years under Jim McElwain has been all about the TE/OT double team on zone against the modern DE, who’s generally chosen and developed for his mobility and versatility rather than his ability to take on double teams. They’ve had to do what they can with the QBs they’ve had, which … [Read more…]
The Briles-era Bears were defined more by anything by Art Briles’ own, unique “Veer and Shoot offense.” There wasn’t another offense quite like it across college football and his disciples still have particular access to some of its secrets even as some of the tactics and style of it have proliferated across the country. I … [Read more…]
I talked about Wyoming’s young signal caller Josh Allen over at Football Study Hall today. While he would have likely been a top pick in the 2017 NFL draft he could be THE top pick of the 2018 draft. What’s interesting is that despite growing up in California and coming in at 6-3, 180 as … [Read more…]