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How Dead is the Spread?
Published: 9/3/2012 3:42 PM
Last Modified: 9/3/2012 3:42 PM

Mike Leach invented the spread offense. Thought it up. Put it together. Designed it. Refined it.

This weekend at Washington State, returning a solid offensive team from last year, he scored zero touchdowns. Z-e-r-o.

The top teams in the country wouldn't be caught in practice using the spread offense.

Alabama, USC and LSU play the game like men. They'll bowl you over running, then knock you out with the play-action pass.

For your information, the 2012 season is over. Nobody can top those three. Did you notice the freshman Alabama runner? He has Heisman written all over him.

The spread offense has taken the vibe of the wishbone in that it is a terrific way for a team to rebuild quickly with a great quarterback and a hot receiver or two. But as a staple for a top five presence, forget it.

The spread spells curtains for NFL quarterbacks. See the Houston guy. All those Oregon guys. Etc. The NFL doesn't want Shotgun Sam back there. It wants a quarterback who can play the game from under center.

Also, the spread sucks all the good players to the offensive side of the football, leaving the defense undernourished.

Who are the best spread teams this year? Oregon and West Virginia? Neither could stop a high school team. Neither will win a national championship.

So there you have it.

The spread is a fading fad.

Man up.

Or go to a kiddie bowl.




Reader Comments 11 Total
Dee-Bo (6 months ago)
Is this a shot a Sam Bradford? Signed Paranoid Sooner fan.
                    
cbrummett (5 months ago)
more of a shot at ok st or maybe state wasn't one of the top teams last year. and wash st was only medicore last year at best
Solo (6 months ago)
Some sort of virus has infected the entire OU football program. Symptoms include boneheaded coaching calls and players who underachieve on the field and can't stay out of trouble off the field. The virus turns RBs into puny mediocre ping pong balls who get flattened often. It also affects QBs causing their feet to become slow and clumsy and causes temporary blindness to DBs rendering them incapable of seeing where the football is on the field. During a game, the virus can spread to the opposing team turning their average players into incredible athletes with superhuman talent. The source of the virus is suspected to be the coaching staff but they claim they caught it from Texas.
Bart78 (6 months ago)
Hard to give much credence when you ignore Hal Mumme's part in creating the spread offense at Kentucky. Even WikiPedia gets that right...shouldn't we expect the vaunted Picker to know basic football?
JED (6 months ago)
Well said!!!! Couldn't agree more. It's time for OU to go back to playing REAL, fundamental football and leave this video game crap behind.
                    
Rhymeister (6 months ago)
Yes, please, so that when Bell becomes starting QB it will be more predictable, hahahahaha.
Rhymeister (6 months ago)
Jay: You keep harping about the death of the Spread, hasn't it been about five years now? You like that boring SEC smashmouth football, we get that but the massive, dominant lineman required to run that scheme does not grow on trees. You expect Leach to score 50 points on a pretty good BYU team his first game? Beyond redonkulous, doesn't have the personnel to excel this season, Wazzu has been horrible for a while, you haven't been paying attention.

The spread allows teams who do not have as many good athletes to compete at a high level. Keep being in denial, hah hah. Here's a better measure, let's see how Mizzou does this week against UGA! I'm calling an upset.
241362 (6 months ago)
It's official, the spread is for underdeveloped football nations. It's becoming a relic like the wishbone. Real men run the football. Wise up Sooners. Or it will be another decade like the last one.
Blue Max (6 months ago)
The spread got Weeden into serious action fast.
241362 (6 months ago)
Where will Weeden be in six months?
                    
colhi64 (6 months ago)
He will still be a rich pro quarterback. We will still be poor hack posters.
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Out Pick The Picker

The Picker began entertaining – and infuriating – sports fans in 1993. Each week during football season, he writes about his picks of college and NFL games in his Thursday Sports column. He's never afraid of sharing his opinions about the game and the personalities who play it. Readers have a chance to go against him each season in the Outpick the Picker contest. He welcomes the competition.

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