Why can Air Force field a competitive team

[Slow Hand]

Ok, without going back and reading all of the posts in this thread I am going to offer an answer to this, so forgive me if I have repeated what may have already been said........The reason AF is competitive is nothing more than a "System Approach" to football. Ask yourself this question......how long have the Falcons been running the triple option? They have perfected the nuances throughout the years. They beat people based on the intelligence quotient. The triple option is an offense that puts great stress on two areas of the defense and when read correctly by the QB is almost unstoppable at mid-level conferences. This does not work at the upper echelon simply based on the talent level that big schools like Ohio State, Alabama, Michigan etc posses. If you look back at the early 80's many teams were making hay with the wishbone and the triple option. It then evolved into the Zone or Spread option so that an effective passing component could be added. Urban Meyer while in Utah was one of the first to take this idea and stand it on its head with the triple option but rather than using the belly read he used a shuffle pass.

Option football is like a work of art when it is hitting on all cylinders.

[JimmyDimes]

Ok, without going back and reading all of the posts in this thread I am going to offer an answer to this, so forgive me if I have repeated what may have already been said........The reason AF is competitive is nothing more than a "System Approach" to football. Ask yourself this question......how long have the Falcons been running the triple option? They have perfected the nuances throughout the years. They beat people based on the intelligence quotient. The triple option is an offense that puts great stress on two areas of the defense and when read correctly by the QB is almost unstoppable at mid-level conferences. This does not work at the upper echelon simply based on the talent level that big schools like Ohio State, Alabama, Michigan etc posses. If you look back at the early 80's many teams were making hay with the wishbone and the triple option. It then evolved into the Zone or Spread option so that an effective passing component could be added. Urban Meyer while in Utah was one of the first to take this idea and stand it on its head with the triple option but rather than using the belly read he used a shuffle pass.

Option football is like a work of art when it is hitting on all cylinders.

Good post. The truth is Boise has had trouble with teams who run the option. Mew Mexico, before beating them, had given them some close games. I think this is two in a row for Air Force.

Not only is it continuity with their offense, but how long as Calhoun been the head coach there? I think he is currently has the longest tenure, with current team, of any coach in the MWC.

[ragtimejoe1]

The triple option is an offense that puts great stress on two areas of the defense and when read correctly by the QB is almost unstoppable at mid-level conferences. This does not work at the upper echelon simply based on the talent level that big schools like Ohio State, Alabama, Michigan etc posses.

I'd disagree with a lot of the rest of your post, but that has been discussed above. However, I think this is a good point and I would extend that to level of defensive coaches.

The lack of talent in the MWC makes the triple option work better. Fair point and I hadn't thought of that.

[LanderPoke]

The triple option is an offense that puts great stress on two areas of the defense and when read correctly by the QB is almost unstoppable at mid-level conferences. This does not work at the upper echelon simply based on the talent level that big schools like Ohio State, Alabama, Michigan etc posses.

I'd disagree with a lot of the rest of your post, but that has been discussed above. However, I think this is a good point and I would extend that to level of defensive coaches.

The lack of talent in the MWC makes the triple option work better. Fair point and I hadn't thought of that.

Georgia Tech does a similar offense. They are decent. I think the triple option could work at any level. Imagine if an elite dualthreat qb ran it?

[ragtimejoe1]

Georgia Tech does a similar offense. They are decent. I think the triple option could work at any level. Imagine if an elite dualthreat qb ran it?

GT is usually pretty solid but I think the ACC has been average on D for the most part and not one of the stronger of the P5 conferences.

About the only conference that GT has a significant number of games against (in the BCS era) is the SEC and GT has a 44% winning percentage against the SEC. Granted that there are a lot more factors than just the triple option, but I really don't think that offense would work well in the SEC.

Still, the triple option can definitely work at higher levels, but I do think the overall lack of talent in the MWC helps the triple option work fairly consistently when it is run at the level AF does. NM is also having some success with it in a short amount of time (i.e. you don't need a staff or offense around for 30 years).

[MrTitleist]

Again, Georgia Tech is a Power 5 school, but also limited in recruiting. Their student population is VERY small (like 10k?), and they can't recruit dumb kids as they're an elite engineering school. They are very much in the same boat as AFA, Navy, etc.

[LanderPoke]

So we're saying that the triple option wouldn't work at dumb schools?

[ragtimejoe1]

Well, coachgtp, I have a friend who is a BSU person. I told him about my example I used in addressing your post and he promptly told me I was full of it. He also indicated that you were much more accurate and that BSU heavily utilizes the OKG (our kinda guys) approach. In other words, BSU emulates exactly what you describe. I trust that the guy knows one hell of a lot more than I do about BSU, so my apologies.

Coupled with good coaching, maybe you are exactly right.

[JimmyDimes]

Well, coachgtp, I have a friend who is a BSU person. I told him about my example I used in addressing your post and he promptly told me I was full of it. He also indicated that you were much more accurate and that BSU heavily utilizes the OKG (our kinda guys) approach. In other words, BSU emulates exactly what you describe. I trust that the guy knows one hell of a lot more than I do about BSU, so my apologies.

Coupled with good coaching, maybe you are exactly right.

Boise built their program with underrated (2*) recruits and coaching consistency. They built a program that was successful in the JC ranks and never let up. All coaching hires were made from within to keep the continuity alive. Only recently....Fiesta bowl.....were they able to recruit a higher level player.

On a side note....I hate that I pretend to be a know-it-all sometimes. I'm just a regular old bean counter with decent analytical skills.

Peace!