Should Alabama run the spread/spread option?

[TiderInTally]

Sorry, but this is incorrect - the spread is NOT an offense, but merely an alignment. For example, Texas Tech runs a spread formation offense that requires no running or option play by the QB. I agree that the QB spread-option offense will likely never take hold in the NFL, but the spread formation has been in the NFL for a long time...

Excellent point. Looking back I was sloppy in the verbiage, but you're right: "the option" (and "the spread option") refers to an offense, "option" refers to a type of play, and "spread" refers to a formation, set, alignment or similar.

 

[Bama-fo-life]

No harm towards JPW but if we had a stronger QB (not saying he is bad but we can agree that there are greater qb's out there) we would have definately won that game. They had eight men in the box which left man coverage. Now we made them pay some but you cannot do that to teams such as UGA because stafford will make them pay. We simply cannot make people pay now but that will come.


There is nothing like a great ground game and I will take it over flash any day. See what happens to FL. when they do not have a freak running that offense. Tebow took some huge hits and got right back up. Not everybody can do that.

 

[CaliforniaTide]

No! No! And no! Also, I love McElwain's offense and it was only Year 1!

The thing with our offense on Saturday, and this has been indicative all season, is that we don't have enough playmakers at the WR position. Julio is our go-to guy, but we don't have a #2, #3, etc., and we haven't all year! Of course we got to run the ball, but when you pounding the rock for 4-5+ yards a carry, why wouldn't keep running the ball? Once we can get some more playmakers at the WR position, and QB with a rocket arm, our offense can instantly get more diversified.

BTW, I thought it was interesting for our running game on Saturday through the third quarter. We were just about doubling or more than doubling Florida on yards per carry. Just goes to show how awesome our running game can be we get into a rhythm!

 

[uaintn]

Nope. Two reasons:

1. you have to have a very smart, durable, athletic qb and if anything happens to the one that is making it work, heaven help you.

2. If the zebras ever decide to start calling holding on offensive linemen again, especially on the corners on running plays, this offense will be deader than the flying wedge.

 

[Tigerslayer]

DITTO.

HELL, NO!! SHOVE IT DOWN THEIR UTES !!!!!!:BigA:

 

[BamaFossil]

Bama should run whatever offense Coaches Saban & McElwain say we oughta' run.

End of discussion.

 

[rolltidescott]

Should they run the spread like OK and Fl does?? In my humble opinion, had Florida ran a traditional offense like ours on Sat, they would have never won that game! So would it be beneficial to do so? I realize we don't have the receivers or QB to run that offense but it seems to work really well. Its working in the SEC when people said it couldnt. In fact, its what won FL the game on Sat!

Nope.

 

[RTR13]

Ehhhhh, no. Alabama, for the most part I think, has been a smash-mouth, running football team.

Like Bill Callahan trying to change a working formula at Nebraska. See how that ended? Or Sly trying to install the West Coast Offense at Miss State?

 

[CrimsonNagus]

Why does this question even need to be asked after we just went 12 - 0 in the regular season (the only BCS school to do so this year)? Seems to me that we are doing just fine without it.

 

[TIDEFAN17]

It's just a matter of time before people figure out the spread just like they did the wishbone. It will vanish like a fart in the wind.

 

[Crimson Cat]

NO.
Bama plays well against and defends the spread as well as anyone and has done it several times this year, so yes it can be 'figured out'. We would have beaten UF were it not for Tebow being the difference maker in that game. He basically is their offense. I agree its one of the gimmicky offenses that is a fad, and much like the Crocs (plastic shoes) will hopefully go away very soon.

The media is just in love with the spread right now because so many of the top teams are running some version of it and its a high scoring offense.
I love our offense (thanks McElwain), which allows us to be diverse, features multiple running backs and different receivers and TE's. Not a slight against JPW who has done extremely well this year, but put a more highly accurate passer at qb in our offense (like a Bradford or Harrell) and it would be a thing of beauty to watch. Considering this was the first year under McElwains system, I think it will only get better.:BigA:

 

[Bamaball2001]

NO!

 

[graydogg85]

JMO, but the argument stating that Alabama should not run the spread offense because "we've always been a smash-mouth program" doesn't hold water. I'm not saying that we should adopt the offense, but I think that argument is very closed-minded.

Programs who have had failed "experiments" with offensive systems (i.e. Auburn, Miss. State, Nebraska, etc.) experienced those failures because of the implementation process, not the offense itself. Auburn is a classic example of this. The coaching staff hired a Hal Mumme/Mike Leach disciple to run their offense, and seemed surprised when he wanted to pass the football most of the time. They never fully committed to it. Given time and committment, that offense might have worked quite well at Auburn because the same system has worked everywhere else it has been implemented (Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Kentucky, etc.).

Again, I think the offense we currently employ is great and I'm not advocating change. But I don't think we should ever rule something out because "that's just not the way we've always done things around here."

 

[kayakerjess]

I agree - I don't think the spread option offense is what cost us the game. Our defense played great, and defended the spread option beautifully. In the 4th quarter when we needed our Offense to come through and control the ball, they could not do it, but I don't think a different offensive style would have changed that.

 

[bamapuppy]

No harm towards JPW but if we had a stronger QB (not saying he is bad but we can agree that there are greater qb's out there) we would have definately won that game. They had eight men in the box which left man coverage. Now we made them pay some but you cannot do that to teams such as UGA because stafford will make them pay. We simply cannot make people pay now but that will come.


There is nothing like a great ground game and I will take it over flash any day. See what happens to FL. when they do not have a freak running that offense. Tebow took some huge hits and got right back up. Not everybody can do that.

I have to believe that if we had Stafford we match up well enough?? A great QB is HUGE.

 

[crains]

:BigA: Alabama did not lose because of the spread offense ! They could have run any offense in the book and they would not have won without Tebow! The spread was more suited to a player like Tebow! I like our Pro Stye smash mouth offense ! As bad as I hate to say it the whiner Tebow lives up to his billing! Without him the game would have been over at halftime!!

 

[mjk3888]

Don't fix it if it ain't broke!!!

 

[MDB98]

I will say this once. The spred does not win games. Speed wins games. Speed kills. No matter what Offense Fla runs with the speed they have they are a great team. Speed kills. Ask tOSU about fla speed. The more speed bama gets the better bama gets. Speed is king.

Personally can't wait to see what role Starr Jackson plays. He could run a bit of the option read or something like that to mix it up. But a full spred conversion...no. JMO.

BTW...UM invented speed and tim tebow and dont you forget it!

 

[Dixiedawg]

Should they run the spread like OK and Fl does?? In my humble opinion, had Florida ran a traditional offense like ours on Sat, they would have never won that game! So would it be beneficial to do so? I realize we don't have the receivers or QB to run that offense but it seems to work really well. Its working in the SEC when people said it couldnt. In fact, its what won FL the game on Sat!

You know we ran off one of the best Coaches we ever had becasue we wanted to be pretty. I'd rather be butt ugly and good (as a football team) then try to be something we're not. IMHO

 

[UA_Fan87]

No. Ask Auburn. And Tennessee. Change UF's offense and they still beat us. Take away Tebow and they don't.

Yep, Tebow is who beat us in the SECCG, it sure wasn't Florida as a team. Tebow clutched many 3rd downs, not to mention some of the stupid things we did, like the face mask on third down when we had them stopped, very dumb.