Mailbag question: Breakdown of the Michigan Offense

Home » Mailbag Question » Mailbag question: Breakdown of the Michigan Offense

Posted at 8:00am — 8/27/2010

Mailbag question: Breakdown of the Michigan Offense

Hello GBMW,

Got a question for you that I haven’t seen here unless it was before I arrived visiting your site.

What is the positives of running the read option offense and what are the negatives of running the same offense.

Would like to hear your views on it and also wondering if this offense is a positive or a negative for recruiting and getting players to the NFL.

Thanks

Dan B. From Key West

————————-

Thanks for the question.

The positive of read option are that it is a simple offense.

It relies on superior execution and speed to wear opponents down. The blocking schemes are limited and basic, and this allows for more repetitions.

The read option also makes the defense defend the entire field and multiple weapons including a mobile / dual threat quarterback.

The negatives it is a simple offense with limited adjustments.

Your quarterback is also vulnerable to injury.

Defenses have also started to catch up with the scheme and others who use a version of read option have started to adapt the scheme.

NFL is all about talent and fitting schemes.

Teams like the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos who rely on zone schemes will be more apt to draft a spread offensive linemen.

A slot receiver can easily fit into a offense as a third receiver or return specialist and so can running backs and split ends.

The real question is can a quarterback read option quarterback make it in the NFL. If he can also throw well enough we would yes, but he has to be a good quarterback overall and not just using his legs.

Written by GBMWolverine Staff

Go Blue — Wear Maize!

Ben

David - Sounds like you're the one with the anger. There was nothing approaching "rage" in anything I wrote - skepticism, maybe. Besides, if questioning the underlying facts of a conclusion is against the rules then this isn't much of a discourse at all, let alone a well-informed, civil one. Right?

And I'll read whatever sites I want, thanks.

Bryan - You can disagree with the methodology of that study, but at least it's attempting to attach facts to an assertion, rather than just saying things to further an agenda. You can have the last word, though, if you want. I've grown tired of debunking rhetoric. People that don't like RR will find new and creative reasons no matter the facts.

All this is fine, but I have yet to get an answer on my original question, which I think is as fair one. Why the assertion that read-option spread QBs are more vulnerable to injury when the facts (maybe flawed, as Bryan points out, but the only facts we have) indicate otherwise?

share flag

spam
offensive
disagree
off topic

CoachBt

I talked to a college DC a few years ago. His advice was to think of spread as formation, not an offense. It was they run out of the formations thaat is game to game prep.

David in Delmar

GBMW - Interesting post - thanks

Ben - Please, leave the email rage in the car with your road rage. One of the beauties of this site is well informed and civil discourse. Be a gentleman or stick to the sites that only say what you want to hear.

Bryan

Ben,

yes, Florida runs the read option, but not the same one that RR runs. My God, people think because you spread the field, and use similar formation all offenses are the same. Also, would you like to bet that Urban tweaks his offense this year, with a QB that isn't Tebow? I'll give you 10 to 1 odds.

And not to answer for Coach BT, but the link you provided is SOOO flawed in its methodology, as was pointed out in the comments section, that is is utterly useless.

CoachBT -- I understand the question just fine. Read the post again (or did you read it at all?). It parses the data for read-option QBs, or QBs that keep the ball a certain percentage of time.

Bryan - I'm not even going to address the majority of the bleeding irony of your post. I can at least say, though, because it will only take one sentence, that Florida runs the read-option.

Thanks Coach BT,

This is what kills me about the "kool-aid" drinking RR fans. I want RR to succeed, but I also think I'm a realist.

Like you said the read-option is VERY different from what Texas, Texas Tech and Florida run. The coaches at those schools "tweek" the offense to fit the personal, whereas RR try to force his scheme onto his personnel. That is what has bothered me most about RR first two years.

Thanks for being a voice of reason.

Please reread the question, it specifically asks about Read option. There is huge difference between what texas tech runs and what UM runs. Just because teams use same formation does not mean they run the same offense.