COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The option offense has been around since just about forever. For those with short memories, the offense helped put Oklahoma atop the college football world in the 1970s and ’80s.
But the last time Oklahoma and Texas A&M; met, it appeared to be a foreign concept to the Sooners.
“All it takes is one person. If one person messes up, that’s it,” OU linebacker Zach Latimer said.
The Sooners had a lot of guys mess up in last year’s 36-30 victory at Owen Field.
They had the Aggies teetering on the edge of being blown out in the first quarter and on life support when starting quarterback Reggie McNeal was knocked out of the game by Calvin Thibodeaux.
But Stephen McGee entered and ran the option with textbook-like precision. He nearly rallied Texas A&M; to a victory.
“Most of the time you would welcome the backup (quarterback),” OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. “Last year, that’s kind of what lit their fire. I think, now that you look back at it, it was indicative of the style of player and the capability that he has as a player and a leader.”
McGee rushed for 67 yards and helped push the Aggies to the brink of a major upset. And he did all of it without completing a pass.
But things change in a year.
McGee has certainly proven he can throw the ball. He’s thrown for more than 1,700 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. The option offense hasn’t changed either. The Aggies lead the Big 12 in rushing yards.
But what No. 18 OU (6-2, 3-1 Big 12) hopes is the way it defends the option will have changed by the time the Sooners are done facing No. 21 Texas A&M; (8-1, 4-1) tonight at Kyle Field.
Nothing in terms of schemes will be new. The keys to stopping the option have been around as long as the offense. Stop the dive back. Stop the quarterback. Stop the pitch man.
Do all three, and the offense runs out of options.
It’s simple, but never easy. The hard part is forming the three-link chain. If one part is missing, everything breaks down.
“You’re not respecting the process in which you defend the option, it’s always inside-out,” Venables said.
“If you start trying to guess about what’s next — if you’re responsible for the dive, take the dive. If the dive player tries to read it instead of playing his responsibility and trusting his key, then everything breaks down inside-out. If you don’t eliminate it inside-out, nothing else works.”
OU struggled to make it work when it last faced Texas A&M; and wasn’t too successful the last time it saw a triple-option offense earlier this season.
In the season opener, the Sooners struggled against Alabama-Birmingham, missing tackles and missing assignments. They still won 24-17, but gave up 135 rushing yards.
You could call that game a little tune-up for tonight, but with one major difference.
“I think they (the Aggies) have a lot better offense as far as the backs, the offensive line and the quarterback,” defensive end Larry Birdine said. “All the option games are similar, but you have to take into account who is doing it.”
There’s no doubt Texas A&M; runs the option pretty well. And if it continues to do it tonight, the Sooners could be in for a long night.
Then again, this isn’t rocket science.
“It’s just tackling and being in position,” Birdine said. “If we can be in position, I think it will be an easy game. If we can eliminate the option and be fundamentally sound, we’ll be all right.”
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OU faces chore in A&M option
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