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Topic: Who Ran the Option?

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OrangeAfroMan

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Who Ran the Option?
« on: July 14, 2019, 08:52:46 PM »
I need help identifying teams that predominantly ran the option offense from season to season.  Here's who I have so far:
Alabama from 71-82 (Bryant)
Oklahoma from 71-88 (Switzer)
Nebraska from 80-03 (Osborne & Solich)
Air Force from 82-present (DeBerry & whoever)
ND from 86-96 (Holtz)
Syracuse from 91-01 (Pasqualoni)
GT from 08-18 (Paul Johnson)
Auburn from 10-present (Chizik/Malzhan)


I don't need to know if New Mexico State ran it in 1974 or anything like that, but of the notable, top 25-type programs, am I missing any?  Would you consider what RichRod did at WV an "option offense"?  Or what Meyer did at Florida with Tebow, or at OSU (not with Haskins, obviously)?
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Anonymous Coward

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Re: Who Ran the Option?
« Reply #1 on: July 14, 2019, 08:59:15 PM »
RR's at WVU and Michigan count if you grow the definition of option to include read-options. That would really expand the category, though. Ditto if you grow it to include RPOs.
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MaximumSam

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Re: Who Ran the Option?
« Reply #2 on: July 14, 2019, 09:00:44 PM »
Given the rise of the spread option and RPO's, might have to be more specific on option offense
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OrangeAfroMan

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Re: Who Ran the Option?
« Reply #3 on: July 14, 2019, 09:15:00 PM »
I'm wanting to do this to incorporate an added risk/reward in my board game of additional fumbles and long TD runs.  Option teams are more likely to fumble and if the defense doesn't play assignment football, option teams bust those long gainers on the ground.


Those 70s teams with QBs stringing the play out towards the sideline, then pitching it had an inordinate amount of fumbles, as one may expect.  These new read-option, middle-of-the-field offenses don't fumble as often, but do you think they fumble more than a more traditional, pro-set offenses?  


I'm leaning towards no.
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MarqHusker

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Re: Who Ran the Option?
« Reply #4 on: July 14, 2019, 09:31:53 PM »
You'll want to add Texas to this list.  Can't verify when D Royal started running it but he's the reason Switzer followed suit.

Memory tells me he started running it in 1968 when he brought in Emory  Bellard as OC.   Bellard introduced it after seeing  A&M introduce option offense the year prior.   In this context I'm talking about specifically the wishbone,  which of course features the option.
« Last Edit: July 14, 2019, 09:37:57 PM by MarqHusker »
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Anonymous Coward

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Re: Who Ran the Option?
« Reply #5 on: July 14, 2019, 09:34:05 PM »
It's just anecdotal feels, but I do think the modern QB/RB mesh increases fumble risk. 
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OrangeAfroMan

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Re: Who Ran the Option?
« Reply #6 on: July 14, 2019, 09:37:07 PM »
Quote from: MarqHusker on July 14, 2019, 09:31:53 PM
You'll want to add Texas to this list.  Can't verify when D Royal started running it but he's the reason Switzer followed suit.
It's the reason they won it all in '69, right? 
30 seconds of research tells me the Horns ran the triple option from '68-'76.  Akers scrapped it.  Looks like he ran the I or split-back and the toss sweep a lot.
Watching '77 Texas v OU, the Longhorn OL are all in 4-point stances.  That's interesting.
« Last Edit: July 14, 2019, 09:44:26 PM by OrangeAfroMan »
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OrangeAfroMan

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Re: Who Ran the Option?
« Reply #7 on: July 14, 2019, 09:42:04 PM »
Quote from: Anonymous Coward on July 14, 2019, 09:34:05 PM
It's just anecdotal feels, but I do think the modern QB/RB mesh increases fumble risk.
I'm afraid anecdotal feels is all the stats I'll be able to find on the subject, lol.
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Brutus Buckeye

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Re: Who Ran the Option?
« Reply #8 on: July 14, 2019, 10:37:57 PM »
New Mexico State ran it in 1974. 
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CWSooner

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Re: Who Ran the Option?
« Reply #9 on: July 14, 2019, 10:45:47 PM »
Oklahoma went away from the wishbone for awhile in the early '80s in order to feature Marcus Dupree at tailback.  Whether that was the "I-option," I do not know.

Are we just talking about the triple-option?  If it's just option football, the old Split-T offense, created by Don Faurot at Missouri in 1941, is usually considered the first option offense.  Bud Wilkinson used it at OU for just about his whole tenure.
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OrangeAfroMan

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Re: Who Ran the Option?
« Reply #10 on: July 14, 2019, 10:55:56 PM »
Quote from: Brutus Buckeye on July 14, 2019, 10:37:57 PM
New Mexico State ran it in 1974.
How dare you
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“The Swamp is where Gators live.  We feel comfortable there, but we hope our opponents feel tentative. A swamp is hot and sticky and can be dangerous." - Steve Spurrier

OrangeAfroMan

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Re: Who Ran the Option?
« Reply #11 on: July 14, 2019, 10:56:56 PM »
Quote from: CWSooner on July 14, 2019, 10:45:47 PM
Oklahoma went away from the wishbone for awhile in the early '80s in order to feature Marcus Dupree at tailback.  Whether that was the "I-option," I do not know.

Are we just talking about the triple-option?  If it's just option football, the old Split-T offense, created by Don Faurot at Missouri in 1941, is usually considered the first option offense.  Bud Wilkinson used it at OU for just about his whole tenure.
Just looking at 1971 to now.  Any type of option-heavy offense, in which fumbles were more of an issue.  
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OrangeAfroMan

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Re: Who Ran the Option?
« Reply #12 on: July 14, 2019, 11:05:03 PM »
One revealing way to tell is passes attempted per game.  Some option teams in the 70s threw it was few as 5-6 times per game.  
Looking at RichRod WV days, with Pat White.  They attempted 16, 18, then 20 passes per game, from 05-07 (their peak).
Florida with Tebow threw it 28, 24, then 26 times per game.  Those numbers are just too high to describe the offense as an "option offense".  


But I don't know where to draw the line on pass attempts. 


If you remember 2013 Auburn, which lost to FSU in the championship game - they were really option-dive heavy.  Their QB wasn't  much of a passer, and they still attempted 20 passes per game.
'85 Oklahoma attempted 10 per game.  Obviously an option team.


OR I could just look at where the QB ranks for carries on the team.  If he's 4th, he might have run some option or just scrambled a lot because he wasn't capable of going through progressions.  If he's first or 2nd, probably ran the option a lot.
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“The Swamp is where Gators live.  We feel comfortable there, but we hope our opponents feel tentative. A swamp is hot and sticky and can be dangerous." - Steve Spurrier

OrangeAfroMan

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Re: Who Ran the Option?
« Reply #13 on: July 14, 2019, 11:13:21 PM »
Grr....Tebow kind of breaks this statistical sleuthing in his Heisman year.  He threw it 28 times per game, but had the most carries for Florida - twice as many as the next guy.  
Looking up highlights, he scrambled a lot, effectively.  A lot of QB draws and dives as well.  I shouldn't worry so much about outliers.
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“The Swamp is where Gators live.  We feel comfortable there, but we hope our opponents feel tentative. A swamp is hot and sticky and can be dangerous." - Steve Spurrier
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