| | Special to ESPN.com
It happens all the time.
The minute a team tries something different and it works, everyone else wants to get in on the act. For awhile, it was big linemen. The came FSU's run using speed and great athletes and now everyone wants to copy that.
We asked ESPN's experts what the hot trend is this season and here's what they said:
|
Lee Corso
Florida State's type of shotgun and I-formation offense with one or two tight ends will be the favorite in the year 2000. The extra tight end gives you blocking assignments to pick up the blitzes that are now prominent in college football. Both sets hurt the eight-man front by keeping an extra blocker in and both hurt man coverage in the secondary. Shifting from the I-formation to the shotgun puts the most pressure on the eight-man front defenses.
On defense, watch for the eight- and nine-man front blitzes to line up and then back off into zone coverage to confuse the automatics of college quarterback. The key to defense in 2000 will be confusing the QB by disguising the type of pressure or cover defenses from the same look.
|
 |
Bill Curry
One surefire method of spotting a trend in football is to check the annual rules changes. This year's clue is a change during substitution that precludes the offense from "rushing quickly to the line of scrimmage and snapping the ball with the obvious attempt to create a defensive disadvantage." Last year Purdue cleverly concealed its unit substitution by sending two to four small fast guys (WR and RB) onto the field seconds prior to the snap. A like number of big guys (TE and FB) departed, and the new unit ran the play. Clemson's offense seldom ever huddles, choosing to remain at the line of scrimmage virtually all the time, so as to wear the defense to a frazzle by the fourth quarter.
What constitutes "defensive disadvantage" will be interpreted by various officials, but the trend toward accelerating the pace and calling of plays at the line of scrimmage will expand. Joe Tiller calls his offense "basketball fastbreak on grass" while Tommy Bowden wants to see defensive opponent's tongues hanging low. Defenses had better be in shape -- the charges of light brigades has just begun!
|
 |
Mike Gottfried
I see more teams going to a strictly passing game: four receivers, open sets, putting the emphasis on throwing the ball the way Oklahoma, Purdue, Kentucky and Texas Tech do. This brings respectability to a program; you can get to 6-5 or maybe 7-4, and can even get to a bowl game. But I don't know if it can get you to the next level. I'm a firm believer you have to run the football and stop the run to win; that's how championships are acquired over the course of a 12-game college football season.
|
| |
ALSO SEE
x
|
