Dumb Frank Solich question?
- Thread starter CoastGuard2018
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I think it was part of the plea bargain after someone "slipped something into his drink" and he was found passed out behind the wheel of his car which was facing the wrong direction.
Ask Tom. He is buddies with Osborne, I'm sure he has the inside info.
Tom's WIFE. You know the lady who posts here now instead of the preacher man.
I'm not even sure Solich knows how the option works. For most of his tenure Crouch just kept the ball, and there wasn't so much of an option.
Since there's no Crouch like QB at a place like Ohio, it probably just worked itself out.
Since there's no Crouch like QB at a place like Ohio, it probably just worked itself out.
Frank/Barney were starting to go toward more Spread concepts here in 2003 and probably would have seen a lot less option if he'd returned in 2004. 2003 was still option heavy with Lord at QB. With Dailey as QB instead of Lord in 2004 and with what Barney did as OC at New Mexico State, we probably would have seen very little option at all. After Frank got canned, he took a year off (2004) and studied other offenses from other college coaches (OU being one of them) and I guess he implemented at Ohio the offense he thought would be best for them.
Frank would have still run some of our traditional option but I think you're right that it would have evolved to more of a spread option game.
So one of my buds here at work, his sister is married to Bohl. He has some pretty good stories that Bohl shares from the old days.
I think the idea that the option was dead/dying when TO retired was even a thing on the Solich coaching staff as he shared with me.
Certainly towards the latter end of Solich's tenure, the entire outlook of a "dual threat QB" had changed pretty dramatically. For most of TO's tenure, a "dual threat" guy pretty much knew he wasn't making the league as a QB and could be convinced to win a couple conference titles or maybe even a national championship before he switched over to being an NFL safety or whatever.
By the end of Solich's tenure, you had sort of reverse osmosis, instead of the NCAA trying to copy NFL concepts, you had NFL teams starting to dabble in NCAA vidya game football concepts.
Which means that any of the top flight talented dual threat QB's that NU would want to recruit, wouldn't be faced with a dead end NFL career anymore. They wouldn't be happy sitting in a 80/20 run-pass system where the only chance to show off their arm was on the occasional long bomb to a wide open TE or Wingback. They'd want to play in systems less traditional TO option, and a little more modern spread option at a minimum.
So I do think that staff basically realized that the slow churn from "the system" to "something else" was basically inevitable.
I think the idea that the option was dead/dying when TO retired was even a thing on the Solich coaching staff as he shared with me.
Certainly towards the latter end of Solich's tenure, the entire outlook of a "dual threat QB" had changed pretty dramatically. For most of TO's tenure, a "dual threat" guy pretty much knew he wasn't making the league as a QB and could be convinced to win a couple conference titles or maybe even a national championship before he switched over to being an NFL safety or whatever.
By the end of Solich's tenure, you had sort of reverse osmosis, instead of the NCAA trying to copy NFL concepts, you had NFL teams starting to dabble in NCAA vidya game football concepts.
Which means that any of the top flight talented dual threat QB's that NU would want to recruit, wouldn't be faced with a dead end NFL career anymore. They wouldn't be happy sitting in a 80/20 run-pass system where the only chance to show off their arm was on the occasional long bomb to a wide open TE or Wingback. They'd want to play in systems less traditional TO option, and a little more modern spread option at a minimum.
So I do think that staff basically realized that the slow churn from "the system" to "something else" was basically inevitable.
I think another interesting thought experiment is the same deal for Frost. I think every Huskers wet dream is that he take TO's system and Chip Kelly's system and sort of create a hybrid monster that rules CFB for 20 years.
Based on what little I've read or heard from old Frosty, I'm not so sure that would happen. It would seem to me that once he left the NU bubble, he's more enveloped in the Chip Kelly camp, than in the TO camp.
But I haven't watched an ounce of UCF play except that game they dropped to Michigan, so I can't really make an informed comment about what he's actually doing on the field.
Based on what little I've read or heard from old Frosty, I'm not so sure that would happen. It would seem to me that once he left the NU bubble, he's more enveloped in the Chip Kelly camp, than in the TO camp.
But I haven't watched an ounce of UCF play except that game they dropped to Michigan, so I can't really make an informed comment about what he's actually doing on the field.
Zone read is the new option offense IMHO - option that can be run out of spread formations and feature the pass. If you watch Ohio - you can see many of the plays TO ran - but pure sprint option and read triple option - they don't run -- I don't think they have the right players to do it.
My recollection is that once Ahman left school Nebraska went into a prolonged period of serviceable but non-elite featured I-Backs - bigger players like Buckhalter and Alexander come to mind, Diedrick, others. Crouch played with those guys, then Jamal Lord was really stuck with nothing behind him. Coupled with Cotton as the new OC, and the obvious drop in skill/speed recruiting, change was foisted on Frank as much as he chose it.
But in later years TO and Urban have oft been quoted as if in a mutual admiration society - TO marveling at what Meyer built into TOs multiple set option plans and Meyer marveling at the complexity of TO curves ahead of all 90s offenses.
The zone read ultimately is just inside option football. And I will always be hard pressed to believe option-rooted football - which isn't just running it every play - isnt the ticket to winning college football games given the defensive college players' greater likelihood for making a mistake (versus a pro player.) Add in that qbs don't get hit when they don't have the ball any more - meaning your talented option guy is taking about 50% of the shots or less Crouch did - it'd be enticing if you could find the talent to run it.
But in later years TO and Urban have oft been quoted as if in a mutual admiration society - TO marveling at what Meyer built into TOs multiple set option plans and Meyer marveling at the complexity of TO curves ahead of all 90s offenses.
The zone read ultimately is just inside option football. And I will always be hard pressed to believe option-rooted football - which isn't just running it every play - isnt the ticket to winning college football games given the defensive college players' greater likelihood for making a mistake (versus a pro player.) Add in that qbs don't get hit when they don't have the ball any more - meaning your talented option guy is taking about 50% of the shots or less Crouch did - it'd be enticing if you could find the talent to run it.
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