Option football is back at Nebraska, well kinda

I have heard and read many questions about what Nebraska's offense is going to look like this year and for those of you still wondering, you might as well get use to hearing the words "zone read" or "zone option" over and over again.  Don't know what zone read is?  It is basically an option play out of the shotgun that we all seen so much of in the Colorado game.  Seemed to work pretty good against Colorado, until the second half anyway.  I think this is a good move to be going to as I believe we have the Quarterback and Running back experience to do it this year.  I have two concerns though and they both have to do with Joe Ganz.  I worry this will cause more fatigue late in the game as Joe moves more to a running/option QB than a mobile dropback QB.  Also, you can't help but worry about the health of our QB if he is running 10-15 times a game. Alright, I have expressed my concerns.  Now on with how this zone play works and who the hell came up with it.

Urban Meyer's version is based on the spread offense developed by University of Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez. Rodriguez earned "pioneer" status for incorporating wishbone-like running principles (e.g., the QB zone-read, option pitches) into the primarily passing "spread offense." However, it is unclear whether Rich Rodriguez developed the system, or whether Kansas State University coach Bill Snyder developed the zone-read philosophy with QB Michael Bishop in the late 1990s, or whether the two coaches coincidentally developed the system at the same time. The 3- time defending NCAA Division I-AA champions, the Appalachian State Mountaineers, rely on the spread option offense. Like the option offense, some sportscasters recently branded the spread as an "equalizer" that allows less athletic teams compete with larger and faster defenses. Appalachian State--at least for the time being--proved this theory by defeating the heralded Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium during the 2007 NCAA season. Critics label the spread offense as a gimmick offense, which favors deception and "window dressing" rather than head-to-head pro style offenses.

Many of you will find that the technique employed by the Quarterback and Running Back on this play is very similar to the technique used in the triple option scheme. The most important thing for the quarterback is to secure the snap. In the event of a bad snap the read is automatically off and he is left with two choices, either make sure of the handoff with the back and execute a naked bootleg, or, keep the ball himself and follow the zone blocking and try and get positive yards. The running back is not to start on his path until the snap is completed.

Once the quarterback has secured the snap he will take a short step at a 45-degree angle to the side of the running back. He must step forward while extending the football, “reach and ride”. The ride portion of the play is the time in which the ball is in the belly of the running back and the quarterback is making his read. The quarterback should not “ride” the running back past his belt buckle. The farther he comes past his belt buckle the greater the chance of a fumble. The quarterbacks’ thought process on this particular play is give, give, give, unless the defensive end closes down flat to take the running back.

Defenses will make several adjustments in order to counter this play.  One of the most widely used is wrapping the linebacker outside the defensive end, essentially bringing an extra man off of the edge. If that extra man is a defender out of the front, the quarterback needs to know that this situation dictates that the play is an automatic give to the running back.

The running backs – in taking the handoff – will soft fold over the ball until he feels the quarterback press the ball against his stomach. It is the quarterbacks’ job, if he decides to give the football, to slide out the hand that is on the running backs belly and push the ball in his stomach with his outside hand. Make no doubt in the running backs mind that you are giving him the football.

Ok, so there you have it.  Now do I think we are going to run that exclusivly this season, no, but my guess is that it will be the bread and butter of our offense this year.  Let's just hope Ganz stays healthy all year and our RB's have a great season.  Those two things together and we will be in the hunt for a North Title.  I hope.   

(Sources for article is wikipedia & Chris Hutchings)