KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. And flattery is everywhere in college football. Any offensive or defensive philosophy that leads to success will be copied until something better comes along.
One would think Oklahoma and Texas would be the models everyone would try to replicate.
In terms of winning, that’s true. But it seems conference coaches are looking to the spread offense as the best way to compete.
“I think that’s the dimension that people are headed to, to recruit athletes that can make plays, spread the field and take advantage of the matchups,” Nebraska coach Bill Callahan said. “That’s an oversimplification, but that’s the trend and that’s what we see.”
Texas Tech coach Mike Leach is quickly becoming the most copied coach in the conference.
He first brought the spread offense to the Big 12 in 1999 when he was offensive coordinator at Oklahoma.
When he became head coach at Texas Tech, he brought the wide-open scheme with him. While the Red Raiders still haven’t won a conference title, they’ve been in a bowl every year since the installation of the wide-open scheme.
Others coaches believe they can obtain the same success.
Baylor coach Guy Morriss said the Sooners and Longhorns have an edge when it comes to landing top-level recruits. The other schools must do something to remain competitive.
“Right now it’s a system,” Morriss said. “I think we’re leveling the field for us much like it’s done for Texas Tech, because it’s a system I think you can operate and be successful with without having the ready-made player coming out of high school that maybe the Texas and Oklahoma are getting.”
First-year Kansas State coach Ron Prince will employ a West Coast offense this season. It will be a major shift from the option attack the Wildcats used under longtime coach Bill Snyder.
But every offense is geared toward getting the ball into hands of great athletes with room to maneuver. Short passes to wide receivers are an easy way to make that happen.
“Everybody in this conference has a superstar wide receiver,” Prince said. “If you don’t have players who can run with them throughout the course of the game, they’re going to make plays on you. I think that’s just the trend.”
But not the most important one.
Style means nothing when weighed against points. Getting the ball in the end zone is all thing that matters.
Callahan said the last two national championship games made that very apparent to him. Any team with national title aspirations better be able to score and score often.
“I think looking at the two teams that have won the last two national championships, you have to score points to win,” he said. “What Texas did, putting 41 points on USC, and what USC did two years ago against Oklahoma, it’s pretty prolific. I think it’s something that’s noted in my mind that you have to score to win in this conference.”
OU Sports
Spread offenses engulfing Big 12
Pass-happy schemes are becoming the norm
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