ADVERTISEMENT

jeff monken - triple option

redwine65

Offensive Coordinator
Jun 23, 2010
8,898
6,474
113
I have seen alot of players not wanting to tackle anymore....which seems like a great time for a triple option...Lord knows we gave the oline 20 years to pass block.
is it time to get back to NU Football?


Monken is the current head coach at Army, a notoriously difficult place to recruit D-1 competitive athletes. He’s dug them out of the doldrums and turned them into a solid program that has produced multiple seasons of double-digit wins. The Black Knights haven’t been this good since the 1940s.

Why It Might Work: Monken’s teams practice great fundamentals and rarely if ever beat themselves, which would be a welcome change from the Scott Frost era. Thanks to his time as an assistant at Navy and Paul Johnson’s Georgia Tech, he is also one of the most well-versed coaches in the TRIPLE-OPTION—one of the toughest schemes to prepare for. He went 11-2 at Army in 2018. That’s insanely good.

Why It Might Not: It would be a serious gamble. Monken has no Big Ten or Nebraska ties. What would he do with the offensive players recruited to a drastically different system? How quickly can they learn his style and become competitive? Some might find this hire head-scratching since these days the option is only run by service academies. There’s a reason it isn’t in vogue anymore.

Closing Comment: Okay, full disclosure: Jeff Monken is my favorite of this whole bunch. Being a true triple-option team in the Big Ten would be fascinating. It would appease all Husker fans who want to go back to that style from the Osborne days, and there’s no better choice for that than Monken. But more important than nostalgia is how disciplined his teams are. I’d be over the moon if Nebraska hired him.

 
Just to back up Bruce, I read a book called "What it takes to be a Husker" wherin Tom Osborne described his own offense as a power running offense with option mixed in. He himself said it was 70% power and 30% option.
 
I was of the mindset P5 teams quit running the triple option because defenders are so quick laterally anymore. True, kids don't want to tackle, but defensive team speed is much better than it was when the entire Big 8 was running the option.
 
give me a fb
This. It will help our recruiting because guaranteed, every year at least one player on the team, the fullback, will be from Nebraska as a walk on and will set the tone for the rest of the locker room in terms of toughness and attitude.

Let's not forget that a few NFL teams still use the fullback. It's not a dead position.
 
I was of the mindset P5 teams quit running the triple option because defenders are so quick laterally anymore. True, kids don't want to tackle, but defensive team speed is much better than it was when the entire Big 8 was running the option.

So the reason why I think the option plays worked so well for Tom Osborne is because you don't infact use it all the time.

Most of the time you're running power plays, which has a tendency to suck defenders in and brace for impact attacking the line making the defense tight, slower to react to the perimeters, and tunnel visioned into stopping what is coming through the middle of the line.

I think it would still work today.
 
I was of the mindset P5 teams quit running the triple option because defenders are so quick laterally anymore. True, kids don't want to tackle, but defensive team speed is much better than it was when the entire Big 8 was running the option.
Ohio St had to take a timeout because Frost took a page from the 97 playbook and Chase Young and company couldn't stop it. We came out in Shotgun and threw a pic after that timeout. I believe we would have been more competitive in that game had we just stuck with it. Wouldn't have won but would have been more respectable. I also believe Martinez would have flourished in that old offense if Frost had done what he should have done.

Besides, we won't ever see a conference title in this area of the country passing that much.
 
  • Like
Reactions: redwine65
Osborne also said his offense would still work and be very difficult to stop.
No doubt the fundamentals of that offense would still work. It is the only play that always wins on the board. The question is could you recruit it well enough to make it work. I like the Oz Bone because you can always say look they see formations that are still used today.

Kind of the reason why I like Coastal Carolina kind of a modern version of it using the pistol and spread with more passing.
 
give me a fb

I'd take this guy.

pmzhyvrsbbhhalqy0lob
 
  • Like
Reactions: BleedRed78
Hard no.

service academies are comprised of guys who are way smarter and way more disciplined than your average recruit, but not as physically gifted.

they run the option out of necessity.
 
Ohio St had to take a timeout because Frost took a page from the 97 playbook and Chase Young and company couldn't stop it. We came out in Shotgun and threw a pic after that timeout. I believe we would have been more competitive in that game had we just stuck with it. Wouldn't have won but would have been more respectable. I also believe Martinez would have flourished in that old offense if Frost had done what he should have done.

Besides, we won't ever see a conference title in this area of the country passing that much.
I'm remember how excited everyone and even the announcers were when Frost run the option for one series. Then in typical Frost fashion, he abandons what is working. I also think his ego wouldn't let him adapt to what was working. He wanted to call his fancy passing game offense and don't think he cared much for the old nebraska run game. He just did it in this moment to try and get the crowd back in the game.

The power run game would still work here. I would love to see more I formation with a full back over a single RB draw play up the gut from shotgun.
 
Well, everything is cyclical. Pop Warner invented the spread offense which wasn't very popular back in the 70's, 80's and 90's. Now almost every team runs a variation of it. And as defenses have adjusted to it, it's only a matter of time before we see somebody run something that is totally the opposite with great success.
 
IMHO, many are missing the key factors in all of this.

Will ANY offense work, even Tom's as he said? Yes, with caveats and footnotes. Why does everyone assume a coach just just suddenly change their O along with their assistants and everything works? IF you had TO and his staff running things, sure it would work. No one, and I mean NO ONE could do what Tom did but yet everyone holds that up as the standard.

Could you get kids interested in coming to the school who runs this kind of O? Doubtful, kids want to play in wide open offenses. Even the pro game runs spread.

That particular snap shot of running a power trap play against tOSU is evidence that one play can work, not evidence a complete system will work.
 
IMHO, many are missing the key factors in all of this.

Will ANY offense work, even Tom's as he said? Yes, with caveats and footnotes. Why does everyone assume a coach just just suddenly change their O along with their assistants and everything works? IF you had TO and his staff running things, sure it would work. No one, and I mean NO ONE could do what Tom did but yet everyone holds that up as the standard.

Could you get kids interested in coming to the school who runs this kind of O? Doubtful, kids want to play in wide open offenses. Even the pro game runs spread.

That particular snap shot of running a power trap play against tOSU is evidence that one play can work, not evidence a complete system will work.
You wouldn't get pro style quarterbacks to play for that offense obviously and not top tier wide receivers, but I think you undervalue the importance of being a winner. Tom Osborne's teams did not play a pro style of football. Yet he put plenty of offensive lineman into the league that did not have a strong background in pass blocking. Stud running backs wanted to come here because they knew they could get to the next level by playing at Nebraska. The list is long.

And this is just offense. Defensive players would come for entirely different reasons. They could give a crap what kind of offense the team ran. Bottom line is that winning kids associate and congregate with other winners.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BleedRed78
IMHO, many are missing the key factors in all of this.

Will ANY offense work, even Tom's as he said? Yes, with caveats and footnotes. Why does everyone assume a coach just just suddenly change their O along with their assistants and everything works? IF you had TO and his staff running things, sure it would work. No one, and I mean NO ONE could do what Tom did but yet everyone holds that up as the standard.

Could you get kids interested in coming to the school who runs this kind of O? Doubtful, kids want to play in wide open offenses. Even the pro game runs spread.

That particular snap shot of running a power trap play against tOSU is evidence that one play can work, not evidence a complete system will work.
Agree. Also, with regard to Frost, Ohio St, etc. that is also evidence that if you put it a few plays that the defense doesn’t prepare for, you can catch them off guard. That team would have made a tweak and stopped it
 
Another reason the offense worked for Nebraska, you've got to remember the S&C program was not only arguably the best in the nation, it was miles ahead of most team Nebraska played. And I believe Nrbraska had good scouting and recruiting from the coaches.

Those full grown dudes could push teams 3 to 4 yards on a power play with decent consistency. So those opposing defenses had to creep up.

To go back to that style of offense Nebraska would have to recruit AND coach at the highest level in regards to offensive lineman, technique, and sell blocking to recruits like its scoring.

Just my opinion.
 
Another reason the offense worked for Nebraska, you've got to remember the S&C program was not only arguably the best in the nation, it was miles ahead of most team Nebraska played. And I believe Nrbraska had good scouting and recruiting from the coaches.

Those full grown dudes could push teams 3 to 4 yards on a power play with decent consistency. So those opposing defenses had to creep up.

To go back to that style of offense Nebraska would have to recruit AND coach at the highest level in regards to offensive lineman, technique, and sell blocking to recruits like its scoring.

Just my opinion.
You need to recruit and coach at the highest level to get to the highest level no matter what system you run.
 
Right talent, right coaching and any scheme can work. Including the triple option.
True to an extent. If 100% true than why is no one successful with the power game/triple option right now?

It's not just as simple as saying it worked once so it will work again. If that were the case, where is the wishbone? It was the rage at one time.
 
True to an extent. If 100% true than why is no one successful with the power game/triple option right now?

It's not just as simple as saying it worked once so it will work again. If that were the case, where is the wishbone? It was the rage at one time.
Just because nobody does it doesn’t make it so. It fascinates me that, outside of GaTech a few years ago, nobody in P5 has given it a good run. So many teams that will never win on a high level run me too offenses. Multiple, but still the same. Not enough points of differentiation to really create matchups challenges. The biggest stopping point is recruiting and perception. Programs think they can’t recruit to such a system, which might be true to en extent. I’ll be here for it when a great coach rises and goes hybrid triple option offense and disrupts a conference. Runs right through all of the speed on D.
 
  • Like
Reactions: otismotis08
Just because nobody does it doesn’t make it so. It fascinates me that, outside of GaTech a few years ago, nobody in P5 has given it a good run. So many teams that will never win on a high level run me too offenses. Multiple, but still the same. Not enough points of differentiation to really create matchups challenges. The biggest stopping point is recruiting and perception. Programs think they can’t recruit to such a system, which might be true to en extent. I’ll be here for it when a great coach rises and goes hybrid triple option offense and disrupts a conference. Runs right through all of the speed on D.
Just because nobody does it, means something. So you equate going to "triple option" to winning at a high level? My goodness, all of these ADs and coaches must be total idiots for not making the change.

Just for clarification, are you labeling the Nebraska O of old as "triple option"?
 
I assume he is and I think of all the option offenses that is the most likely one that could still work today.
 
Just because nobody does it, means something. So you equate going to "triple option" to winning at a high level? My goodness, all of these ADs and coaches must be total idiots for not making the change.

Just for clarification, are you labeling the Nebraska O of old as "triple option"?
Didn’t equate going triple option to winning at a high level. Give it another read without reading to react. Common internet affliction.
I suggested that there are a tremendous amount of teams that will never compete at a high level consistently, Yet, there are very few that take aggressively different approaches other than to mimic trendy offenses. Texas Tech went unique with the Leach offense. Oregon with the chip Kelly offense. Read Option. RPO. Etc… Don’t just fixate on the option example. It’s creating an approach and scheme that is very unique to the conference. Similar to basketball moving away from half court sets and big men to 3 point driven, baseball from small ball to long ball, football has evolved to a pass first mentality(rules have helped make that transition as well). Someone will design a run first (and second) offense that will disrupt a league eventually. Tough call for coaches and ADs to make because it’s not flashy and will be tough to recruit for and get fans/media geared up for….other than maybe old Nebraska fans. If it fails miserably, they will own it forever. Safer is better. The internet has decided that old is bad. Almost everyone on the planet wanted Tony Larussa to fail in Chicago because he was old. Unpack that as you wish.
 
  • Like
Reactions: drubendall
Just because nobody does it, means something. So you equate going to "triple option" to winning at a high level? My goodness, all of these ADs and coaches must be total idiots for not making the change.

Just for clarification, are you labeling the Nebraska O of old as "triple option"?
Very few teams ran it when Nebraska was a top 10 team for about 30 years. Very few teams run it now. But it still works.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bruce1981
The option would suck to prepare for as a defensive coordinator. Especially since you prepare for RPO and passing teams all week and all off season. It WOULD work in a big way in the B1G!! Thats the reason we had such a great record vs the Big 10 before joining the conference. Offenses are so complex now, coordinators would not have enough time to prepare for the option only seeing it once a season. Defenses, kids, have gotten faster, but that works both ways!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: redwine65
ADVERTISEMENT