Auburn & Texas A&M Finish DFL In West Division
The brief run of the hurry-up, spread and deception offenses are over in the SEC.
This is evidenced by the fact that the two biggest examples of it – Auburn and Texas A&M – were DFL (that’s last place in case you are wondering) in the West Division in 2015. Auburn finished at the bottom and Texas A&M in next-to-last place.
Auburn’s offense was pathetic in 2015 and on those rare occasion it could actually move the ball into scoring position, it had to kick field goals. Texas A&M has struggled on offense since Johnny Manziel took his party to Cleveland.
Here’s the primary reasons hurry-up offenses are dead in the SEC.
• The Defenses Have Adjusted To The Hurry-Up Offenses
Check out some Alabama games on YouTube. Watch what the defense does between plays. It has almost two groups of players on the fiend and once he defensive signal is called, the ones not staying in the game race off the field.
The Tide has adjusted in its personnel on particular plays and has also recruited different types of players for different roles at the same position. Of course, not every team has a defense like Alabama but other teams are starting to do the same thing.
As a result, the spread offense is simply not as effective as it was when it first came to the SEC.
• The Officials & League, College Football Rules Have Adjusted
It is no longer possible for offenses to race different personnel onto the field at the last minute and do a quick snap of the ball. The official hold play until the defense can also make player adjustments.
Now, it the rules people would just do something about that “pop” pass, the one in which the quarterback runs parallel to the line of scrimmage, turns upfield, then suddenly flips the ball to a wide-open receiver because the defensive back has come up to tackle the QB.
Offensive linemen are allowed to go three yards past the line of scrimmage in this game but are often five, six or even seven yards beyond the line. Ole Miss got away with this for a touchdown against Alabama. And the adjustment has been for the DB to stay with the receiver throughout the play.
• It Requires A Fluke Quarterback To Execute
These offenses work best with something that best be described as a “fluke” is at quarterback. Manziel is a perfect example. He could zig-zag his way past rushing defenders and heave up impossible passes that were caught by receivers.
Auburn had Cam Newton and, to a lesser degree, Nick Marshall Both were JUCO transfers; that seems to be the only method of quarterback success for Gus Malzahn.
In fact, Malzahn will enter 2016 on the hot seat. That is, if he even survives the Birmingham Bow. The Tigers are 6-5 and 2-6 in the SEC, the only conference wins coming against lowly Kentucky and A&M. And some fans are not that patient with him and his trickeration offense.
Some fans are indeed ready for a change right now from the coach and his scheme.
“It’s time to get rid of that high school offense and go back to smash-mouth football,” one Auburn fan posted as a response to a Malzahn article on a website.
Leave a Reply