Into the Mind of the Triple Option

I have a treat for my Georgia Tech brothers and sisters out there. With all the talk of the triple option, I thought it might be useful to start providing some insight into the system. However, why let a two-bit hack like me try and explain things? With that in mind, I made contact with Coach Steve Smith, a guy who has coaches the multiple option, studies the multiple option and is a believer in the multiple option. He's so much of a follower, that he has his own website - called "The Multiple Option Offense" at http://www.veersite.com/.


Coach Smith agreed to do a Q&A with the GT Sports Blog and provide some insight into the triple option and share some thoughts on Paul Johnson and what we might expect on the flats. With that in mind, let's go to the questions:

First, tell us a little bit about your background.

Coach Smith: I’ve been a high school football coach for 15 years and have become something of a minor “option guru” on the Net since starting Veersite.com back in 2004. I started it as a resource to become a better option coach myself and to share what I learned with other coaches. Somewhere along the way I started answering more questions than I asked… funny how it worked out. I’m just glad I started a resource where folks can go to learn more about the option.

BTW, One of the early adopters and creative forces in option football back in the day was Homer Rice at Fort Thomas Highlands, Kentucky. I believe he retired as Athletic Director at G.T. only a few years ago. I know this because he married a lady from my home town of Middlesboro… and two of the most successful head coaches at Middlesboro, Chalk Stapleton and Ken Roark both ran Rice’s Veer Option. Coach Stapleton was and is good friends with Carson Newman’s head coach, Ken Sparks, who got a few National Championship rings while running the Veer option… It really is a small world after all.

What are the high level basics of option offenses? What are the advantages? Disadvantages? Misconceptions?

Here are a few general advantages of running the option. There was a really great post concerning this over in the Forums at the Flexbone Association site (http://www.flexboneassociation.com/) and I’m borrowing heavily from it below.

Advantages of the Option

• Reduces the need for a dominant offensive line (O-linemen are blocking low and fast playside or releasing to screen linebackers- one on one blocks aren’t needed as much as in other schemes.) Also, since the quarterback's reads eliminate defenders, there are fewer defenders to block. (ps. You don’t have to recruit traditional D-I talent to run this offense – although it wouldn’t hurt)
• Enables a physically inferior team to control the ball by running it, thus giving its defense more time to rest while wearing down the rival defense. Option teams are often great 4th quarter teams.
• Is adaptable to the team's personnel (A running QB will love it and a passing QB gets simpler coverages to throw at due to the defense having to play the option)
• Forces the defense to play assignment football (the Dline must play with some control which also slows the pass rush, blitzes become much more of a risk, etc)
• Reduces the number of coverages that the secondary can use and forces the secondary to get involved with the run.
• Is a goal-line to goal-line attack that requires no special red-zone or goal-line plays.
• Uses a variety of perimeter blocking schemes, thus simplifying the task of making game adjustments.
• Opens the door to more big plays… because the defense must concentrate on stopping the option, passes, reverses, and other “trick” plays can really catch them off-guard.


Disadvantages of the Option

• It can sometimes be harder to showcase a singularly talented back in the option unless you go out of your way a bit to tune the offense and get the football in one back’s hands. The option is designed to “spread the wealth” with respect to carries… most see this as an advantage.
• Penalties can be harder for an option team to overcome.
• It requires more timing, discipline, and practice time to perfect than some other offenses.
• The option was designed to win football games, not “sell beer and hotdogs.” Fans expecting to see a “mini-Pro” game on Saturday might be disappointed.

Misconceptions about the Option

• The option will get your quarterback “killed.” If your QB lives through Spring Ball (just kidding!), he’ll get adept at making guys miss at the last second just like any good running back does. Think of it this way; put your QB in the shotgun 40 plays a game while those defensive ends pin their ears back and he’ll take a lot more blind-side shots. Pick your poison.
• The option is easy for D-1 defenses to stop. Hmmm… really? Vintage Air Force and more recent Navy teams have put the points up on some decent opponents. Besides, if it were so easy, why aren’t more option teams scheduled to be “Homecoming patsies” for the big schools?
• Good recruits won’t go where they run the option. True, some blue chip QBs don’t like getting that uniform dirty, but then you have those guys like Tebow at Florida who don’t seem to mind. You should also remember the option is designed for smaller, faster offensive linemen… it lets you recruit smaller, faster O-linemen that the D-I schools mostly overlook. And it won’t effect the defensive recruiting either way.

Can you help fans understand some of the different terminology? Spread offense, triple option, multiple option, veer, run-and-shoot, etc.

Running a spread offense usually means you feature formations with two split ends and either receivers or wingbacks… or that there’s one back in the backfield with the QB instead of two or three. Spread can mean either the QB is under center or in the shotgun. The term Flexbone is pretty much the same thing, but I take it as emphasizing that the QB is under center and you’re looking to run more than pass.

Running the option (another link) is when the QB “reads” the charge of a particular defensive lineman (succinctly called the “read” in this case). Depending on what that lineman does, the QB may hand the football to a dive back up the middle, keep it himself off tackle, or pitch the ball to a trailing running back. The analogy of the 2-on-1 fast break in basketball is not bad. The defensive player can’t cover both at the same time.

Are you familiar with the offense Paul Johnson ran at Georgia Southern and Navy? Is there something Jacket fans should know about the system he put in place at those schools? How is Johnson's system different from others?

The main thing GT fans should consider when thinking about Coach Johnson is that programs win when he shows up to coach there. Look at Johnson’s time at Hawaii… also at Ga. Southern as coordinator and as head coach… and most recently his time at Navy as a HC. The man wins football games. I have faith in his ability to make a big difference in a couple or three years – IF he’s left alone and allowed to coach.

Johnson has made it clear that he customizes the offense to the talent he has on the field. There is some evidence of that from his days as OC at Hawaii, where they passed at a higher rate. However, what is your guess as to the type of offense he installs at GT? What are the critical factors in making that decision?

I have no crystal ball concerning Coach Johnson’s offensive system for his initial year at Ga. Tech. I would be surprised if it were a complete clone of Navy’s offense right off the bat. Johnson and his staff will have to make their schemes fit the athletes that have been recruited over the past few years. But you never know… a lot of high school coaches still run the option and I’d almost bet there’s at least one kid on the team that’s ran it before. Regardless, I would also be surprised if you didn’t see the option play a huge role in the offense right away.

Talk about the importance of the QB in the option system. What are the key traits you are looking for at QB?

The option QB is the focal point for the offense. It all starts with the QB and his ability to make correct reads during the option. A calm, level head is a must… really the same things you look for in a QB in any offense. Option QBs tend to be competitors who don’t mind “getting their hands dirty” running the football. Most good option QBs are respected on the team because they are willing to take a lick or two and be physical and athletic in the process of winning. But things really get cooking when you get a kid that has the system down well enough to check-off at the line of scrimmage and hit the defense where it’s weakest. I honestly think that once a QB is confident in his ability to make option reads (pull and pitch stuff), a lot of the pressure is off. The option spreads the runs around the backfield and passing becomes more a situation of opportunity rather than necessity. I’d say an option QB has less pressure than a run and shoot QB who knows the team’s fortunes ride heavily on his throwing arm.

What role do the wide receivers typically play in the option? With the popular wide receivers these days being 6'4" big guys (like GT's former star Calvin Johnson), do typical option offenses get these type guys? What do you think are the ideal traits of a WR in this system?

The main thing the option gives them is predictable coverages – and the option almost assuredly eliminates the defense’s ability to double-cover any one receiver. I personally think that the option has allowed the teams I’ve coached to have a very explosive passing games. I’m not talking 20 completions a game but more like 6-12 completions with 3 being genuine big plays that went for big yardage. Think quality and not quantity. You aren’t likely to see an option team make a living off short passes thrown in the flat. But you are likely to see long balls like a backside Post, or a playside Fade or Wheel route go all the way for a score. The defensive coordinator must use his DBs as run support and it really puts them in a bind. I really hate that for ‘em.

Talk about the difference in play from the offensive line when comparing the option to a traditional pro-set.

The Option is designed for smaller, faster, and more agile offensive linemen… most of the blocks are low and quick since the running game is north-and-south and hits fast. You can get “more with less” concerning size and strength. The main requirement for the option lineman is quickness off the ball and a nasty disposition. Pass protection is much simpler since it’s usually either play action or turnback protection. In the first case, the defense has to stay under control and not just come sprinting up the field for fear of being “read” or “trapped.” In the latter, the O-lineman has the angle to begin with and thus an advantage.

I have read many comments that Georgia Tech is going to be watched closely next season by writers, fans and "experts" to judge the success of the triple option at the highest level - almost like some science experiment. What is a fair amount of time to judge the success of his system, considering he is starting over with a new team, new players and has to teach a brand new system? Will the fact that he will be playing more talented competition be a factor?

Coach Smith: I’ve already seen articles where the writer wasn’t wondering “if” G.T. was going to be successful but instead wondering just “how” successful they might be. No coach wants to “spot” the competition a season or two so I expect Johnson to get as much of his scheme in place as he possibly can. But most option teams –especially young and inexperienced ones- tend to start off slow but peak late. I expect some initial problems but think the team will begin clicking by mid-season. Barring any key injuries, I’d say the latter games of the season will be the ones to look at with regard to the future despite the strength of the opponent. The Yellow Jackets do have the ability to be 3-0 going into the Miami game. If they do, and confidence is high… then who knows what might happen. But I’m going to be cautious in Johnson’s first year and err on the conservative side and say a 4-6, 5-5, or 6-4 season is most likely. But if the players learn the system and most key players stay healthy… Well, let me say that I’d love to be eating my words as G.T. wins 8 games and heads to a bowl!

Johnson has said that he does not have a playbook. He basically runs only a handful of plays over and over, and may alter the formation instead. What advantages does this offer for players in the system?

Players go harder when they are sure of what they are doing and what their responsibilities are. They will have fewer blown alignments and fewer blown assignments in a simpler system. Also, the fewer plays you have, the more time you have to practice them to perfection. In this day of 20 hours of practice per week, Georgia Tech has the advantage with respect to the opponent’s defense. It has 3-4 days to prepare for G.T., probably the lone option team on the schedule.

It has been said that the triple option is a great equalizer in terms of reducing the impact of talent gaps between two teams. Johnson proved it at Navy, where he consistently held his own against more talented teams. So we know the option works in those situations. However, what happens when you get equal or greater talent running the option as your opposition? Does it further distance your team in terms of winning games, or is the advantage a lot smaller in this case? In other words, the multiple option can neutralize the disadvantage of inferior talent, but can it exploit the advantage of equal or better talent?

Better talent helps any offensive scheme you run; period. When you are significantly superior to your opponent, you just get to name your score.


There is a perception that recruiting into this system is a challenge, as high level future NFL caliber players don't think it prepares them for the NFL. Is there any truth to this? Obviously Johnson will have his first real access to bigtime Div IA talent. What should Jacket fans expect in terms of the types of recruits he will go after? Do you believe he will have success recruiting high level athletes into this system?

Remember Eric Crouch at Nebraska? He won the Heisman trophy in 2001. He wasn’t the best passer but I don’t think it lessened his ability to shred college defenses in the least. Yet how many pro teams wanted him as a QB? Not many. There are a lot of great running QBs in high school who every year who are forced to join D-I teams as receivers because their talents are largely ignored by college coaches eager to prove they can run what the pro coaches run. Every high school option QB in America now has a D-I school (other than a service academy) where he can now aspire to play. I honestly don’t think G.T. is going to hurt at the QB position. The biggest talent at wide receiver might look elsewhere, but G.T. will get plenty small, fast wideouts who will be very open due to the coverages they will see. Big-time tailbacks will most likely try other schools running the “I” or one-back sets, yet bruising fullbacks will see an opportunity to carry the football at G.T. Also look for Johnson to have success recruiting the utility-back type to play wingback/receiver. What you lose in one area you make up for in another. Georgia Tech recruiting will be fine.

How will option offense impact the Georgia Tech defense? What about the fact that they will not be practicing against a conventional offense during the week and will have to rely on the scout team more heavily? What about during gametime? Can the defense expect to stay on the field less because the offense will control the ball more?

If the option game is going well, then the G.T. defense can expect to be rested when it hits the field. It might also allow the defensive coordinator to gamble a little more. I don’t think the scout team situation will be much of a factor. No scout team in America is going to be as good either physically or execute as well as a D-I offense. Scout team plays are scripted and drawn out for the players… who most likely will have to emulate pass patterns and pass-pro drops. It will be far tougher for G.T.’s opponents to get a good option scout team ready when you consider the timing and practice involved. And they will have only 3-4 days to make it happen.

I hope I’ve made things a little clearer. And like G.T. fans everywhere, I’m really excited about the 2008 season.

Coach Steve Smith

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Coach Smith, I just want to thank you for the interaction and insight into the Triple Option. It is great to have someone who has implemented these schemes share their insight. Hey, and the insight into Homer Rice was priceless and will be appreciated by Jacket fans!

You are welcome back anytime!!

Reflecting on the Option

The more time I spend reading about option football - spread option, triple option, veer, how it differs from wishbone, the pass vs run ratio - the more I get excited about our future. Now, my excitement is not really centered around any dissatisfaction around what we had. I generally liked where we were headed as a program. Of course specifically, there was plenty of frustration..... but I digress..

With Paul Johnson now at the helm, I've gained a renewed interest in the X's and O's of the game. Back to basics. Back to principles of war, strategy and success. Angles and numbers. Researching the triple option is a fascinating exercise, and there is truly a lot to be excited about if you are a Jacket fan. At a base level, getting back to option football just warms my heart. I can't explain it, but option football is truly college football goodness. Moving away from a traditional pro-set and installing the triple option should be fun. However, with the spread formations of today's option, we're not talking about your daddy's wishbone here. It is modern. It is fun to watch........... and it works.

More than anything else, it's hard to argue with results. This stinkin spread system just results in wins and wins and wins. There is not a bigger reason to be excited than the success of the system itself. Truthfully, it doesn't seem to matter whether you're running or passing either. There are some fundamental differences between the known spread teams out there, but really the differences are minor. Even Texas Tech Coach Mike Leach said this when comparing his spread passing attack, which led the nation in passing, to PJ's Navy attack, which led the nation in rushing:

"They run it all the time, and we throw it a lot, but in my mind that's sort of
where the differences end," Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach said. "It's about
distribution of the ball. They make sure everybody touches the ball, and the
quarterback makes good decisions about who gets the ball. Philosophically, I
think we're incredibly similar."

This stinkin' system just seems to works. I mean, let's look at some facts:

1. PJ's record at GaSouthern and Navy and Hawaii, all using the triple option. All his teams won lots of games. All his teams racked up lots of yards and points on offense. His teams did not lose much and the National Championships at GaSouthern are well documented.

2. Texas Tech annually leads the nation in passing yards (or comes close). Navy annually leads the nation in rushing yards (or top 2). One team throws 60%+ of the time. The other runs it most of the time. Both teams spread the ball around. Both teams rack up yards and points. Both teams win and go to bowls every year now. Texas Tech has beaten Texas A&M 6 out of the past 8 years and Navy has dominated its service academy rivals. Spread option football my friends.

3. Appalation State just became the first 1-AA team in history to win back-to-back-to-back national championships............running the spread option. Oh yeah, they also beat some team named MICHIGAN to start the season, which some labeled as the biggest upset in the history of college football. And guess what - Michigan just hired one of the pioneers of the spread option - Rich Rodriguez. If you can't beat'em, join'em I guess. Spread option football my friends. Oh yeah, know where App State got their offense? Their head coach studied some guy named Urban Meyer at Utah and some guy named Rich Rodriguez at WV. Speaking of....

4. West Virginia - Rodriguez turned WV into a national power. West Virginia? Other than John Denver and flaming couches, what else is going on up there?.... I'll tell you what else - the spread option. Oh, and don't be fooled by the fact that they called it the spread option and not the triple option. Yes, they will line up 4 wideouts and put the QB in the shotgun, but guess what - they run the ball a lot more than they pass. Despite perceptions, WV has a running option offense that occasionally passes the ball.

5. Why did Missouri and Kansas rise to the top of the polls after histories of being less than mediocre? I'll tell you how - largely on the back of option football.

6. Why is Hawaii undefeated, in a BCS bowl and about to play UGAg? Well, besides a weak schedule, the answer would be the spread option. June Jones has a beautiful system in place and a great QB to execute it.

7. How did Utah come out of the netherworld to go undefeated in 2004? A guy named Urban Meyer and a system called the spread option. Of course Meyer later went on to win the National Championship at Florida implementing that same system - a spread option.

These are just some of the stories you've heard about. There are many more. The bottom-line is this - the option works and the spread option is the modern incarnation that is driving defensive coordinators crazy. It works. Spread out the defenses. Create large gaps. Distribute the ball to many different players. Force defenses to play assignment football (this is a key component). Execute, execute, execute.

WORD OF CAUTION
Now, it is important to note that Paul Johnson is the only guy in the country running the spread option like he does - as a run-dominant offense. Clearly PJ is a run-first guy. If any GT fans are thinking we are going to turn into a Texas Tech pass-first offense, you can forget it. Ain't gonna happen. This is going to be an offense that bases everything off the triple option run. We will pass more than Navy, but at the end of the day, we are going to be just like Chan Gailey teams - rely on the run to win.

Will PJ adjust his offense to personnel? Sure he will. But folks, we were a run-first, weak passing team with Chan Gailey's players. We didn't have a strong passing attack from year 1 to year 6 under Coach Gailey. We just brought in a guy who specializes in the run, so don't expect that to change much. Honestly I would guess that GT is going to throw the ball 5-10 fewer times per game, but complete even more passes. My guess is that our passing efficiency goes up significantly.

Today, recruit WR Chris Jackson announced he was switching his commitment from GT to Alabama. He was the first GT verbal and a bigtime cheerleader for GT. There wasn't another guy in the class that was more of a "Tech man". However, now he's saying "Roll Tide". PJ has a challenge on his hands to convince receivers they will have a significant role in this system. Of course the real challenge is that he has no product to really sell. He's selling something different than Navy and something different than Hawaii. I don't worry about the QB situation because we immediately start going after a specific type of kid (Jaybo Shaw, not Sean Renfree, dual-threat, not drop-back pocket passer). My only real worry is QB next season, as triple option football does get your QB smacked a lot. That means we need a good stable of competent running QB's. However, I do worry about our long-term ability to bring in bigger talent WR's.

Now, there's another grain of salt about "fitting the offense to personnel". That makes a lot of sense when you just inherited a team of guys you didn't recruit. However, the question becomes - what type of players do you recruit moving forward? You mold the offense to your inherited players - but then do you go out and recruit players that allow you to change the offense?..... or do you recruit even better players that allow you to execute the system you have had success running? I bring this up because evidently at Hawaii PJ set all kinds of passing records in his first couple of years there, but then he brought in the dual-threat QB's and started running the ball more. So in the end, Hawaii turned into more of a triple-option running team by the time he left. It will be interesting to watch.

At the end of the day, we're going to have a bumpy ride until PJ proves what he's all about to the current team at spring ball and to recruits next season during gametime. Until then it's going to be a rocky recruiting ride and possibly a rocky road for transfers. It is just the reality of coaching changes, and don't let it surprise you too much. You change the head coach and you're going to assume risk. Change the system at the same time and the risk level gets higher. Just reality.

Don't get me wrong about the option. I'm excited about the possibilities. My Clemson friend here in the upstate told me yesterday at lunch that I was already drinking the "Triple Option" Kool-Aid. I guess that's true. I like so much about the system and it's going to be a fun ride to see how PJ puts it into practice at "the I".

............. to be continued.

What's Buzzin' Tuesday Night

5 MYTHS OF PAUL JOHNSON'S OFFENSE
Someone on one of the boards posted a link to this article, which just may be the ultimate high level debunking of all the myths you've heard or will hear about Paul Johnson's offense. It is so much of a must-read, that I'm assigning homework........ and there will be a quiz later - period!! Your life depends on it.

TENUTA WORKING FOR SPURRIER?
Tyrone Nix just left USC-East to work for Houston Nutt at Ole Miss. That means Spurrier is on the lookout for a new DC. Expect Jon Tenuta to get a look. Of course his name is still prominent for the LSU DC job.

GREENER GRASS IN THE ATL ?
Evidently some UCLA folks are going through their own personal demons as they wait on their next coach. We all know about the excrutiating daily wait with dribs and drabs of inaccurate info leaking out. In the meantime, this UCLA blogger's outside impression of Dan Radakovich's hiring process and ultimate result was the cream of the NCAA crop when it came to hires. An efficient, thorough process. A good list of quality candidates with varying types of experience and expertise. Then sealing the deal with the best candidate quickly and efficienctly.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD JOB OPENING?
Interesting article on what makes a good head coaching job. I'd say we fare well on most areas on the list.

ALL-AMERICANS
The SI.com All-American list is out and you have:
P: Durant Brooks 1st Team
K: Travis Bell Honorable mention
RB: Tashard Choice Honorable mention

In addition, the AP All-American team is out and we had two guys there as well - Durant Brooks (2nd team - huhhh?), Vance Walker (3rd team defense).

Way to go guys!!!

PAUL JOHNSON'S CHEESE
Evidently nobody is going to be moving Paul Johnson's cheese for quite awhile. Details about his contract are out now. Check it out here. Honestly, it seems like a better deal for GT and a better deal for PJ.

PJ's former followers send their well wishes and thanks.

However, to pay for all this - we've started a new campaign.

NOTRE DAME / NAVY AWARD CONTEST
ESPN tells us who wins the annual Navy / Notre Dame awards: PJ gets Coach of the Year (between those two teams), and there's this:

Biggest Surprise: Navy's offense. It really shouldn't be a surprise by now, but Navy continued to mass-produce yards and points in a season when it had to. Kaheaku-Enhada and stable of backs helped the Mids to another ho-hum 8-4 season. Seven players rushed for more than 450 yards and five touchdowns. Navy scored 30 points or more in all but two games and eclipsed 45 points five times. Other surprises include Notre Dame's pass defense (third nationally) and Irish converted defensive end Trevor Laws.

1999 I-AA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Watch it right here folks. This would be the game where PJ trounced Youngstown State coached by some hack named Jim Tressell. If the link below doesn't work - click here.



GSUvsYSU99
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