Credit to Kennesaw State

[katss07]

First of all, I would like to say that Kennesaw played one hell of a game this evening in a hostile atmosphere. Over came many issues and was able to hang with a great SHSU team. Could have easily won that game, so hats off to you guys.

Every single Owl supporter I met today was nothing but respectful and kind. Some fan bases don’t bring that. The KSU guys were great. The large turnover plank was great (although I was pissed to see the real one) and the KSUOwls people were great. Really added to the best atmosphere that has been at Bowers since the 2011 Montana game. This was a huge game for the Kats and Owls and it was right for it to end in such fun fashion.

Regardless of the outcome, incredible game. Owl fans, you guys deserved to be here and will be back. No doubt! I’m using this as an opportunity to say thanks and that you guys deserve all the credit in the world. For a third year program, that is a great football team. I can only imagine what the program will look like in five years. Once again, hats off to OwlNation.

[Daytripper]

First of all, I would like to say that Kennesaw played one hell of a game this evening in a hostile atmosphere. Over came many issues and was able to hang with a great SHSU team. Could have easily won that game, so hats off to you guys.

Every single Owl supporter I met today was nothing but respectful and kind. Some fan bases don’t bring that. The KSU guys were great. The large turnover plank was great (although I was pissed to see the real one) and the KSUOwls people were great. Really added to the best atmosphere that has been at Bowers since the 2011 Montana game. This was a huge game for the Kats and Owls and it was right for it to end in such fun fashion.

Regardless of the outcome, incredible game. Owl fans, you guys deserved to be here and will be back. No doubt! I’m using this as an opportunity to say thanks and that you guys deserve all the credit in the world. For a third year program, that is a great football team. I can only imagine what the program will look like in five years. Once again, hats off to OwlNation.

Agree. Tough, disciplined team. KSU will be around. But, as somebody mentioned on another thread, with their enrollment and early success I'm not sure they should stick with the triple option offense. They can get the talent to be more balanced.

[WeAreThePride]

Well said. I'll be pulling for KSU from here out.

[PaladinFan]

Agree. Tough, disciplined team. KSU will be around. But, as somebody mentioned on another thread, with their enrollment and early success I'm not sure they should stick with the triple option offense. They can get the talent to be more balanced.

Bohannon was a Paul Johnson assistant at Georgia Southern, Navy, and Tech. That’s their offense. I imagine to change the offense you’ll change the coach, which seems like a bad idea.

In the Deep South, with the oversautration of D1 programs, running the option and looking for market inefficiencies in recruiting makes sense to me.

[POD Knows]

They showed a lot of heart, I had kind of written them off in the first half but they never gave up and really, should have took that game into OT.

[TennBison]

Agree. Tough, disciplined team. KSU will be around. But, as somebody mentioned on another thread, with their enrollment and early success I'm not sure they should stick with the triple option offense. They can get the talent to be more balanced.

Enrollment has nothing to do with how good a college team is. This is not like high school where kids from one town are required to go to a school just because they live in a district. A school with 7,000 students can recruit the same kids that a school with 30,000 can. Just be cause they have 30k students, it does not mean they have a better team or are more able to run a different kind of offense.

[TennBison]

Congrats to KSU. You did much better than I thought you would for a third year program.

[TennBison]

Bohannon was a Paul Johnson assistant at Georgia Southern, Navy, and Tech. That’s their offense. I imagine to change the offense you’ll change the coach, which seems like a bad idea.

In the Deep South, with the oversaturation of D1 programs, running the option and looking for market inefficiencies in recruiting makes sense to me.

That is perceived to be the problem, to much competition from other schools. But I don't feel that is the case as often as it is claimed to be. Down in the deep south and other areas like Texas, football is king. There is more football going on down there than anyplace else in the country. Maybe there are 20 colleges that are in the elite level that you will never be able to compete with. That would be the Alabamas, Georgia, LSU, Clemson, Fla & Fla St, Texas, Tex A&M,Ole Miss and such. Then you have those second tier FBS schools that you can go up against Vanderbilt, NC St, SC St, Tenn, Fla Atlantic, Fla central, and then all the other F CS schools. It is a tough road to hoe, but it can be done. NDSU prides itself on picking up talent that FBS schools missed and out recruiting other FCS schools. And in some cases winning recruits from bigger FBS schools on the premise that kids are going to start sooner and get a better education and experience at NDSU. Hidden talent is out there NDSU is proof it can be found and cultivated. And if you school and football program are good enough, students will pass on some FBS programs to play in your program. It can be done.
That being said, the TO is a graveyard for offensive players who might want to have a good shot at the pros. No position in the TO is a hotbed for talent. Sure, a few players here or there do make it. But that style of offense is largely overlooked by the NFL. And once you start becoming a more steady program you need to make a choice of either staying with a Option offense or switching to a offense that might attract players who want to go on to the NFL or have a shot at it.

[ElCid]

I get a kick out of all those who talk about the triple option like it is not a worthy offense. News flash, it is an equalizer against much better teams, but you need to have good execution. it is how we beat S Carolina a couple years ago, not to mention beating them in 1990 and Arkansas back in 92. It is how Wofford kept it close with SC this year and also the last few years. It is how Georgia Southern won their National Championships. I will use Navy and Ga Tech as examples as well. They keep close with some of the best FBS teams out there while running the option. Sometimes it just doesn't work out like Wofford yesterday against NDSU, turnovers will kill you. Run it well, and nobody can stop it every time. Unfortunately for them, Wofford did not run it well yesterday. Doesn't matter the type of game as well in regard to scoring. Back in 2013 we ran it well against Old Dominion, in a shootout (59-58), we scored fast and often with many long drives under 2 minutes. We only completed 5 passes in that game. We came back against Samford last year being down 10 with 6 minutes remaining to tie and eventually win. And despite being down to Samford this year by 35 (ouch), we actually could have come back from that. We really did not have the OLine for it though and out drives stalled, many deep. And not to be Capt Obvious, but the offensive line is the keystone to the whole thing....an EXPERIENCED O-line. Doesn't have to be a huge line either, they are not intended to be mountains protecting the QB. They simply need to get their assigned blocks done effectively. They need to be fast and not clog up the lanes themselves. If I was to guess about their optimal size, I would say 270-290 was perfect, depending on the individual, and everything else being equal.

Like I said, run it well and it can be an "equalizer," but have a decent passing game as well, and that is when you can do some guaranteed serious damage with it, but it is not always necessary. People who do not watch it often simply do not see its effectiveness. Plus it is a thing of beauty when you execute it well. Kennesaw passes quite a bit more than we do. Wofford passes a bit more as well, at least this year. I think Cal Poly passes a bit more as well. And with our senior starter graduating this year, our #2 is bit better of a passer so we might see more passing next year. But this whole thing about "having" to be balanced in order to win is load of crap. Every time an option team has a bad game or season, all the "balanced experts" come out and state that it is a must. I would love to find the boxscores for Ga Sos NCs to see what they did. When we beat SC in 15, we completed 2 passes all game. When we beat a top 10 UTC last year, who had one of the best defenses in FCS, we completed 1 pass. We have many examples like this like I am sure many options teams have.

Off my soap box. Good job KSU, you earned your FCS spurs.

[TennBison]

I get a kick out of all those who talk about the triple option like it is not a worthy offense. News flash, it is an equalizer against much better teams, but you need to have good execution. it is how we beat S Carolina a couple years ago, not to mention beating them in 1990 and Arkansas back in 92. It is how Wofford kept it close with SC this year and also the last few years. It is how Georgia Southern won their National Championships. I will use Navy and Ga Tech as examples as well. They keep close with some of the best FBS teams out there while running the option. Sometimes it just doesn't work out like Wofford yesterday against NDSU, turnovers will kill you. Run it well, and nobody can stop it every time. Unfortunately for them, Wofford did not run it well yesterday. Doesn't matter the type of game as well in regard to scoring. Back in 2013 we ran it well against Old Dominion, in a shootout (59-58), we scored fast and often with many long drives under 2 minutes. We only completed 5 passes in that game. We came back against Samford last year being down 10 with 6 minutes remaining to tie and eventually win. And despite being down to Samford this year by 35 (ouch), we actually could have come back from that. We really did not have the OLine for it though and out drives stalled, many deep. And not to be Capt Obvious, but the offensive line is the keystone to the whole thing....an EXPERIENCED O-line. Doesn't have to be a huge line either, they are not intended to be mountains protecting the QB. They simply need to get their assigned blocks done effectively. They need to be fast and not clog up the lanes themselves. If I was to guess about their optimal size, I would say 270-290 was perfect, depending on the individual, and everything else being equal.

Like I said, run it well and it can be an "equalizer," but have a decent passing game as well, and that is when you can do some guaranteed serious damage with it, but it is not always necessary. People who do not watch it often simply do not see its effectiveness. Plus it is a thing of beauty when you execute it well. Kennesaw passes quite a bit more than we do. Wofford passes a bit more as well, at least this year. I think Cal Poly passes a bit more as well. And with our senior starter graduating this year, our #2 is bit better of a passer so we might see more passing next year. But this whole thing about "having" to be balanced in order to win is load of crap. Every time an option team has a bad game or season, all the "balanced experts" come out and state that it is a must. I would love to find the boxscores for Ga Sos NCs to see what they did. When we beat SC in 15, we completed 2 passes all game. When we beat a top 10 UTC last year, who had one of the best defenses in FCS, we completed 1 pass. We have many examples like this like I am sure many options teams have.

Off my soap box. Good job KSU, you earned your FCS spurs.

One word answer here:
Q) If it is such a good offense, how many NFL teams run it?
A) None