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Under center vs shot gun

Huskerthom

Huskerthom

All Big 10
10 Year Member
This is not a Qb thread. I was never a RB. so my question is this.
When the QB is in the shotgun the RB it seems always had to go sideways to recieve the handoff prior to running up the middle. Whereas when the QB is under center the RB can go straight to the 0 or 1 holes. Thus giving the Defense less time to react. It is truly running down hill.

Before anyone comes in with it. YES I Know we need better oline play. This is a general question. Not specifically about our team.
 
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Huskerthom said:
This is not a Qb thread. I was never a RB. so my question is this.
When the QB is in the shotgun the RB it seems always had to go sideways to recieve the handoff prior to running up the middle. Whereas when the QB is under center the RB can go straight to the 0 or 1 holes. Thus giving the Defense less time to react. It is truly running down hill.

Before anyone comes in with it. YES I Know we need better oline play. This is a general question. Not specifically about our team.
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Not trying to being rude or sarcastic…what is the question you would like us to contemplate? Are you asking what HM members prefer…what Nebraska should do?
 
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RPO. It is not only what we do but what college football is all about nowadays. Learn it, live it, love it. Or not.

With that said, depending on the play call and associated blocking scheme, that isn't always the case , but often is. There's a reason for that.

For example, when running zone, running angles are intentional as the QB is also reading the backside end to determine whether he gives or takes it himself. It puts the defense in a pickle because if the end crashes to stop the run from the backside, the QB has the edge to take it himself, if not, the ball is handed off to the back as the offense has the numbers in the box.

When running OZ it's more prominent when you see the running back take an even run more horizontal route to the LOS
 
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TFrazier said:
Not trying to being rude or sarcastic…what is the question you would like us to contemplate? Are you asking what HM members prefer…what Nebraska should do?
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The question I am asking from a RB PERSPECTIVE. is it better for the RB if the QB is undercenter. Allowing him to run straight forward without taking a side step first.
 



Sounds like we will be under center more this year than in previous years. I don't really have any preference either way. Now when were at the goaline I think differently, line up under center and jam the ball into the end zone. Nothing fancy, just pound it.
As for what a RB thinks, I have no idea.
 
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36Blast said:
RPO. It is not only what we do but what college football is all about nowadays. Learn it, live it, love it. Or not.

With that said, depending on the play call and associated blocking scheme, that isn't always the case.
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Being under center does not prevent the RPO. It often works better coming from under center.
 
I guess I am a 80-90s Nebraska traditionalist and would love to see them bring back the Tom Osborne style of offense with some modern wrinkles. So few teams run power football that I believe it would still be highly effective even in 2022.

I would think running backs would love being in a run heavy power running game with a fullback helping lead the way. I think Nebraska can mix running both under center and and in the shotgun which would allow the offense to be multi faceted.

Again, I admit that I am biased and miss power/option football with play action concepts.
 
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Huskerthom said:
Being under center does not prevent the RPO. It often works better coming from under center.
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Ask yourself why a majority of teams take the snap out of shotgun as opposed to being under center. With an athletic quarterback there are more options available. I just provided a perfect example of why we do what we do. You may not like it but pretty much every successful coach in the country runs their offense this way.

Additionally, even when running spread, you could still have that so-called downhill running game by running out of pistol. The option is there. But in the end, no matter the formation, Scott's offense is predicated on one simple concept:

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE NUMBERS
 
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36Blast said:
We all do buddy. Different times. Every sport evolves and in some cases comes full circle.
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I still believe the Osborne style offense with modern tweaks would still have great success in 2022 because teams would have a hard time preparing for it.
 
TFrazier said:
I still believe the Osborne style offense with modern tweaks would still have great success in 2022 because teams would have a hard time preparing for it.
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Trust me, to me there is nothing more enjoyable than running full back trap on third and eight and picking up 12 yards. And I don't disagree about running a tweaked Tom Osborne style offense. But football is a sport dominated by fads. Most of the new up and coming coaches have been raised in spread offense environments, and therefore that is what they are teaching because that's what they think works best. It's a copycat world out there.

A perfect example is Scott Frost. He saw what the Osborne offense did for him and yet he hangs his hat on Chip Kelly's methodologies.

But like you, I long for the days of punishing a team up front. Then again most years all I have to do is watch a Wisconsin game
 
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TFrazier said:
Not trying to being rude or sarcastic…what is the question you would like us to contemplate? Are you asking what HM members prefer…what Nebraska should do?
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Exactly. There wasn’t a question in there. Just generalization. I’m assuming it’s why is the QB always in the shotgun? I personally think it’s dumb to always be in the shotgun. In the early days of it, it was to give the QB a half second more time to read the field and less far to drop back. Tom Osborne was running zone read from under center before anyone even knew that term.
 
Taking into account the age poll that was on here awhile back, I don't think you will get a RB's perspective from anyone on here who has taken a handoff in the last 25-50 years. Hell, probably as many who wore leather helmets than any uniform accessory by Under Armor.

So, remembering my glory days of the 1980s, just give me the damn ball and let me run. And after the game I'll listen to Def Leopard on my way to Pizza Hut.
 

36Blast said:
We all do buddy. Different times. Every sport evolves and in some cases comes full circle.
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Toms offense would kill teams today, just like it was in 1997. In fact, it would probably be even more devastating because most teams are weak, like Nebraska is, in that physical play is rare nowadays. It’s mostly finesse style.
 
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