Read option

[shabby 1,956]

For anyone in the know is Bo Nix actually Allowed by Gus to make a decision of what to do with the ball or is everything predetermined before the snap. It seems like without the ability to make the decision himself in the moment that renders the whole thing useless and predictable. I fear we won't have a running game this year because once again we have a quarterback who is either unable or not allowed to contribute to the running game.

[TigerEyez13 46]

I see him making decisions all the time. He decides when to scramble out of the pocket. He decided to throw to the left corner when the defenders were running a guy off the field leaving only ten defenders. He actually changed the play call that second.

 

I see him deciding to throw the ball away rather than take a loss.

[toddc 13,194]

If you can’t make a read then it’s not a read or an option, but just a handoff! 😝 

[Carnell 592]

18 minutes ago, shabby said:

For anyone in the know is Bo Nix actually Allowed by Gus to make a decision of what to do with the ball or is everything predetermined before the snap. It seems like without the ability to make the decision himself in the moment that renders the whole thing useless and predictable. I fear we won't have a running game this year because once again we have a quarterback who is either unable or not allowed to contribute to the running game.

I really dont know if Bo has the option to keep or whether the play is predetermined handoff but if is a predetermined handoff half the field is not being used and defenses can stunt to the side the running back is going outnumber our lineman to that side of the field when they dont have to worry about the quarterback keeping the ball.

[leglessdan 1,934]

27 minutes ago, Carnell said:

I really dont know if Bo has the option to keep or whether the play is predetermined handoff but if is a predetermined handoff half the field is not being used and defenses can stunt to the side the running back is going outnumber our lineman to that side of the field when they dont have to worry about the quarterback keeping the ball.

It's either predetermined,  or we have 2 QBs, Bo and Joey both that can't make a read. I have a hard time believing BOTH are inadequate at running an offense that they've both run for 2 plus years.

[AuburnNTexas 7,124]

In the past we were told that the Read Option was pre-determined most of the time but there were times the QB was allowed to actually read it and determine what was best option. I am assuming with two newbie QB's it is always pre-determined which irritates me to no end.

[Sizzle 3,909]

It would help everyone if Bo could keep it more. It’s open for him

[shabby 1,956]

24 minutes ago, AuburnNTexas said:

In the past we were told that the Reap Option was pre-determined most of the time but there were times the QB was allowed to actually read it and determine what was best option. I am assuming with two newbie QB's it is always pre-determined which irritates me to no end.

my thoughts as well. we need a qb that can be seen as a run threat. or nothing else works

[Carnell 592]

26 minutes ago, leglessdan said:

It's either predetermined,  or we have 2 QBs, Bo and Joey both that can't make a read. I have a hard time believing BOTH are inadequate at running an offense that they've both run for 2 plus years.

But bo is in college now and defenses are more sophisticated than in high school.  Oregon would flip linebackers and safeties down into the read zone which can be a lot more confusing for a freshman to read.

[leglessdan 1,934]

9 minutes ago, Carnell said:

But bo is in college now and defenses are more sophisticated than in high school.  Oregon would flip linebackers and safeties down into the read zone which can be a lot more confusing for a freshman to read.

Can't argue with that. The bad part of it is, we really don't know. Malika did the same thing.

[AU64 10,122]

So nobody seems to know....but many are quick to fault the coach....way to go AU fans.    

JMO but watching Bo, he seems to have some choices as the plays are sent in....see him moving players around in the backfield......and maybe failing to move a back in position to help block.     However it goes, I agree that it would be nice to see him keep the ball a bit more...just to keep the D honest. 

[SumterAubie 3,031]

I believe Gus took the option part away back in 2014. On more than one occasion, in fact many times that year,  I felt Marshall gave up clear opportunities to keep the ball on the option

[jAUSon 2,836]

21 minutes ago, AU64 said:

So nobody seems to know....but many are quick to fault the coach....way to go AU fans.    

JMO but watching Bo, he seems to have some choices as the plays are sent in....see him moving players around in the backfield......and maybe failing to move a back in position to help block.     However it goes, I agree that it would be nice to see him keep the ball a bit more...just to keep the D honest. 

Nobody knows but 64 will come flying in here fast as his internet will allow to low-ball the forum. That part we know.

 

[boisnumber1 2,817]

It's obvious that it is no longer a read. It's also obvious that everyone we play knows this. We aren't fooling anyone but ourselves, apparently.

[aucanucktiger 1,789]

9 hours ago, shabby said:

For anyone in the know is Bo Nix actually Allowed by Gus to make a decision of what to do with the ball or is everything predetermined before the snap. It seems like without the ability to make the decision himself in the moment that renders the whole thing useless and predictable. I fear we won't have a running game this year because once again we have a quarterback who is either unable or not allowed to contribute to the running game.

True freshman 2 games into college ball?

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

7 hours ago, boisnumber1 said:

It's obvious that it is no longer a read. It's also obvious that everyone we play knows this. We aren't fooling anyone but ourselves, apparently.

This baffles me. I have said this as well because there is no way that so many different QBs have made so many bad reads. 

9 hours ago, Carnell said:

But bo is in college now and defenses are more sophisticated than in high school.  Oregon would flip linebackers and safeties down into the read zone which can be a lot more confusing for a freshman to read.

I get it. Defenses can mix things up and give alot of different looks. Yes College is way more sophisticated than High School ball. With that said, however, I know We started running an Inverted veer when I was a freshman QB in high school. It was a simple offense  and very effective. we ran less than 10 plays including trick plays. I have seen defenses do things like you mentioned in the 2 games we have played and in several games previous years, but more times than not it is still not a super complicated read. I just do not get it. It takes the element of the offense that makes it effective and handcuffs it. 

[JBiGGiE 2,488]

Does it matter? Gus' offense is not the Read Option. Yes he does incorporate it, but he has not had the personnel to run it as a base since Nick Marshall. And at that, the Read wasn't even the base until after the LSU game 2013.

That said, it seems to me that Gus might be in his own head a little. Bear with me (please adjust your tinfoil hats)... I think Gus knows the perception of his offensive being predicated around the Read Option. I think he, he thinks, that by publicly insisting his QBs will have to be able to run, that he is feeding that perception —and thus — fooling his opponents into believing his QBs are always running threats. Obviously this has fooled no one because neither Johnson, nor White, nor Stidham, were true running QBs. And I don't believe we had truely tried running the Read with those QBs even though we showed similar looks.

Now saying all that, it could just be (as evident by the decision making of of those running QBs who have been allowed to run the Read during garbage time) that we are running the Read Option and our QBs just suck at reading the defense.

Who knows man...

[Tiger 8,817]

It does matter. Most of our run game is coming out of the zone read look. If we don't allow the QB to actually make the read we are neutering our run game-- even back in the Nick Marshall days Gus was dictating the read. But Nick was elite at making an unblocked guy miss (diminishing the damage on the dumb idea of o predetermining a keep or give), then taking advantage of the picture perfect path to daylight Greg Robinson and Jay Prosch provided.

[JJB74 77]

Ya'll should know by now that the first half of the season Gus runs a certain number of plays over and over and over again.......Why does he do this 

i mean the same formation, with the same players, on the same downs.........We all know these formations have several different options but we see the same thing over and over and over and over......why is that.....has anyone here been a OC before........has anyone here been a pitching coach in baseball and call the pitches?   

Don't get your hopes us this weekend that the play calls are going to change........ third string team would roll over Kent St

 

There are several reasons why Gus is doing this..........I'm not going to get into all the reasons why he is calling the games the way he is but I'll leave you with this 

 

The less you put on film now helps you out so much when SEC schedule starts... Gus runs plays all year to set up a play when the game is on the line (EX. iron bowl Marshall to Coates)........Cam throwback to  Lutz..... 

[AUApostle 7,648]

It's to Gus' advantage for the opponent not to know whether it's predetermined or a read.  We'll never find out the truth.

[dyehardfanAU 2,117]

1 hour ago, AUDevil said:

It's to Gus' advantage for the opponent not to know whether it's predetermined or a read.  We'll never find out the truth.

Any DC worth his salt is going to be able to determine this when watching the game film.

[autan 737]

I feel pretty sure Bo is supposed to try to make it look like it is a true read option but defenses have figured that out.  They are not stupid. Neither is Bo. There are times I think he knows he could make a first down if he kept it. But he is a freshman and may get chewed on if he disobeys  a strict call especially if he doesn't make the first down..Obviously he does has  some options on certain plays.  Hopefully Gus will loosen the strings more and more as season progresses.

[SumterAubie 3,031]

3 hours ago, JJB74 said:

Ya'll should know by now that the first half of the season Gus runs a certain number of plays over and over and over again.......Why does he do this 

i mean the same formation, with the same players, on the same downs.........We all know these formations have several different options but we see the same thing over and over and over and over......why is that.....has anyone here been a OC before........has anyone here been a pitching coach in baseball and call the pitches?   

Don't get your hopes us this weekend that the play calls are going to change........ third string team would roll over Kent St

 

There are several reasons why Gus is doing this..........I'm not going to get into all the reasons why he is calling the games the way he is but I'll leave you with this 

 

The less you put on film now helps you out so much when SEC schedule starts... Gus runs plays all year to set up a play when the game is on the line (EX. iron bowl Marshall to Coates)........Cam throwback to  Lutz..... 

So Malzahn is risking losing early season games, by restricting his offense, just to set up a play in a game in back half of the season

[AU64 10,122]

23 hours ago, jAUSon said:

Nobody knows but 64 will come flying in here fast as his internet will allow to low-ball the forum. That part we know.

 

   Sure..... so we should just let a bunch of folks who don't know what is going on, ….and admit they don't know......come in with a hand full of posts that put the worst case interpretation to  in the issue and  nobody raises an objection?  .....NOPE....I don't think so.   

And AU is supposed to open it's entire playbook with a freshman QB in the first game or two?     JMO but many people posting here are thinking more like a fan than like a coach.    Could be wrong but I'm thinking that most of us, if we had Gus's job would be coaching a lot like Gus...who has a pretty good idea about what his various players are capable of at this point in the season.    JMO

[McLoofus 35,182]

14 hours ago, AU64 said:

   Sure..... so we should just let a bunch of folks who don't know what is going on, ….and admit they don't know......come in with a hand full of posts that put the worst case interpretation to  in the issue and  nobody raises an objection?  .....NOPE....I don't think so.   

And AU is supposed to open it's entire playbook with a freshman QB in the first game or two?     JMO but many people posting here are thinking more like a fan than like a coach.    Could be wrong but I'm thinking that most of us, if we had Gus's job would be coaching a lot like Gus...who has a pretty good idea about what his various players are capable of at this point in the season.    JMO

Feel free to offer your best case interpretation without the additional commentary about other posters and it will probably be received a lot better. 

Support of Gus isn't nearly as contentious as some of y'all seem to think it is. It's the fact that it is so seldom offered without salt.