Evolving the Option: The Pop Pass and the Future of Football

RTR91

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This is a long piece but worth the read. Provides a look at what Alabama is going to face in upcoming years as offenses continue to develop.

College football is changing. Yes, the game will finally feature a Playoff in 2014. True, issues regarding the compensation of athletes threaten to overhaul the entire structure of the NCAA.

But if you were to ask a longtime defensive coach like Manny Diaz where the sport is heading, he'd point you to a signature moment in the most thrilling game in recent memory: Auburn's victory in the 2013 Iron Bowl over mighty Alabama.

But Diaz wasn't as struck by the "Kick Six" touchdown that sealed the deal for the Tigers, nor the budding Saban-vs.-spread rivalry. Instead Diaz zeroes in on a play by Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall, one ending 31 seconds before Chris Davis' 109-yard game-winner.

"It's the most significant thing to happen to college football," the 17-year coaching veteran says. "The most important play of last season was the touchdown that tied the game at 28."

The play in question started out as a standard zone-read play, one Auburn had been running the entire season. It was at this moment that Gus Malzahn's offense brought football's future to the biggest stage.
 

crimsonaudio

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Interesting read, thanks. We're going to see a LOT of teams scoring lots of points off that this year. Even disciplined defenses get burned if just one guy hesitates or misses an assignment...
 

ALA2262

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Only if they continue to allow linemen and eligible receivers to block downfield. I would bet every penny I have that Bama DBs are taught to key on linemen downfield, and if linemen are downfield, to play "run only" or "pass behind the LOS" defense.

They are taught to defend legal football. They will NEVER be able to defend illegal football.
 
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Interesting read, thanks. We're going to see a LOT of teams scoring lots of points off that this year. Even disciplined defenses get burned if just one guy hesitates or misses an assignment...
This is where I believe you have to have a great DL. good penetration, and also some discipline in the secondary messes up the zone read.


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BamaMoon

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So a lineman can be 3 yards downfield before a penalty is called?

One of the Barn's linemen had released and was closer to 4 yards downfield.

Oh well, it's history, but I think the author of the piece is right, CNS will work on it!
 

kayakerjess

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So a lineman can be 3 yards downfield before a penalty is called?

One of the Barn's linemen had released and was closer to 4 yards downfield.

Oh well, it's history, but I think the author of the piece is right, CNS will work on it!
Tough to tell in that GIF, but there was one that appeared to be 5 yards downfield. We can't rewrite history of course, but that's a tough one to swallow considering that was the game changing play of the day.
 

Bruce014

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I am far from being an expert on anything, much less football, but it seems to me like the approach would be playing extremely disciplined man-to-man defense, and tell the players to stay with your assignment no matter what, that yes, you might get burned once in a blue moon, but don't waiver from your assignment. **shrug** JMHO.
 

BamaMoon

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Heck I didn't realize just how close Marshall was to being across the line of scrimmage when he threw the ball. Darn close.
It's the ball, not the body. But it was close.

Correction: It's the whole body being across the line that is a penalty. NM was legal to throw the pass. It was inelligible receivors (linemen) downfield that is the question (see post below).
 
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BamaMoon

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Tough to tell in that GIF, but there was one that appeared to be 5 yards downfield. We can't rewrite history of course, but that's a tough one to swallow considering that was the game changing play of the day.
If the play was illegal, it should have been penalized. If so, Bama may (but is not gauranteed) have won the game, SECCG and BCSNCG and 3 titles in a row.

It's just a shame will never know what might have happened.

We got burned on a great play from the Barn on the kick six. Give 'em the credit!

But we may not have ever seen that if this play would have been called back. It's "par for the course" when you think about it. Seems like a lot of the Barn's success is always on the sketchy side.

Dare I say it: "Scam Newton"
 

crimsonaudio

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I've seen some pretty detailed breakdowns of that play and I don't think a lineman was illegally down field.

The reality is the DB's busted and allowed Coates to be wide open. Had Jones (I think he had coverage here) stayed with his man instead of collapsing towards Marshall that ball doesn't get thrown.

Beyond that, the article is good, I like how it details the ways other teams are including this wrinkle. That play from the OU spring game made me shudder - if a QB can cause the safety to bite on a run play, the CB better be bad to the bone...
 

TideEngineer08

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I've seen some pretty detailed breakdowns of that play and I don't think a lineman was illegally down field.

The reality is the DB's busted and allowed Coates to be wide open. Had Jones (I think he had coverage here) stayed with his man instead of collapsing towards Marshall that ball doesn't get thrown.

Beyond that, the article is good, I like how it details the ways other teams are including this wrinkle. That play from the OU spring game made me shudder - if a QB can cause the safety to bite on a run play, the CB better be bad to the bone...
Or your offense needs to convert 3rd and 1 or 4th and 1 when they've got the opportunity to put the game away.
 
If the play was illegal, it should have been penalized. If so, Bama may (but is not gauranteed) have won the game, SECCG and BCSNCG and 3 titles in a row.

It's just a shame will never know what might have happened.

We got burned on a great play from the Barn on the kick six. Give 'em the credit!

But we may not have ever seen that if this play would have been called back. It's "par for the course" when you think about it. Seems like a lot of the Barn's success is always on the sketchy side.

Dare I say it: "Scam Newton"
That probably will never change either. It should have been called back.


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nickel42

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This is where I believe you have to have a great DL. good penetration, and also some discipline in the secondary messes up the zone read.


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Totally. Backfield penetration is absolutely critical.
 

BigBama76

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This is where I believe you have to have a great DL. good penetration, and also some discipline in the secondary messes up the zone read.

Roll Tide! 15 Time National Champions, More BCS Championships than any school...
Hubbard was out of position, failed to penetrate and didn't have enough speed to recover. The DB flat broke off coverage. Where were our safeties? As much as anything we were in a bad defensive scheme probably because we didn't think Marshall would beat us with his arm.
 

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