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The traditional option was widespread across the country by the mid-70s.  I'm not talking about Faurot inventing it or Wilkinson at OU or Yeoman's split veer, but the more modern option born in Austin with Ballard, under Royal.

Texas used it, OU perfected it...Bear Bryant implemented it, Florida and Georgia ran it, as did most decent programs.  Nebraska eventually implemented it and became its champion after others had moved on. 

But this thread is about those name programs who never made the leap:  USC.....Penn State.....who are some others?  I know USC had 'student body right' and relied on a talented RB and great defense.  Penn State seemed to set one of those big, talented PA QBs behind center and give him a decent number of pass attempts. 

From that era, around 72-79, soooo many programs were running the option.  Bo did, Woody did...the SWC was largely running it into the 90s.  Notre Dame seemed to dabble in it, but would let a talented QB run a more balanced offense.  This seems more rare than it perhaps should have been.

Who else didn't, and why?

John Cooper ran it initially at OSU with Kirk Herbstreit. Not sure if he brought it over from ASU, or tailored his offense to the personnel. He switched to a pro style in the mid 90s to boost recruiting.

Purdue at the time was on a run of pretty good QBs, and I don't the option would have utilized their skills well. 

Anytime there is a coaching opening at IU there will be a group of fans advocating hiring an option coach. They always cite IU's historic recruiting struggles and think that going to the option would mitigate that. They also like to cite Georgia Tech as an example of a lesser program that competed in Power 5 conference by running the option. 

Anything to do with what high schools were running at a time when recruiting was much more localized/regionalized?

That's what I chalk up Penn State to....Rutledge, the Hostetlers, etc w/ fertile PA recruitnig.....I guess JoePa couldn't make them all LBs. 

Same with Purdue, who had at least a recent history of passing since Greise on to Herrmann, but idk if their recruiting areas had anything to do with that.

Does anyone know what Bowden ran at WV?  He never really ran the option at FSU, nor did Miami when 1980 came around. 

Tennessee was a strong program back then, did the Vols ever run the option?

the Big 8 was OU and NU and the other 6 that didn't run it or didn't run it well

I don't remember any PAC team running the option

When Kansas beat OU's eventual MNC team in '75, I believe that the Jayhawks were running the wishbone triple-option.  Nolan Cromwell was the KU QB.

John McKay started calling USC's offense the I-option.

I don't think that there's really a very bright line between Yeoman's veer and Bellard's wishbone.  The principles and blocking assignments are very similar.  The wishbone just adds a fullback.

Oklahoma State ran the wishbone for a season or two under--IIRC--Jim Stanly, the "Stanley Steamer."  That was about the time that oSu changed their orange color to the burnt shade.

Did Fran Tarkenton run much--either by design or necessity--at Georgia?