Another Question: This time on Offense

[SelmaBamaFan]

I'm asking a question per drink from now on, so get ready!

Would you rather have a ball control-running the ball at will offense, or an explosive quick scoring passing offense.

Keep in mind that in this dream situation, both are at the top of their games and are VERY hard to stop. Also keep in mind that one keeps the other offense off the field, while the other can come from behind if need be.

So which is it? Score quick or substained drives? Im interested in your answers since you've had both in your history.

[sooneron]

Ball control. OU fans have some bad memories of a D that got little rest due to offensive drives of less than 2 min back in 1999.

[Johnny Utah]

Ball control ... Ball control ... Ball control. If the other team can't get the ball on offense how much of a threat can they be, except from playing from behind?

[BornandBred]

I take a ball control O for a couple reasons...
First, if you have ball control, you can set the tempo of the game. Something that's highly under rated in football.
Second, it allows your D to be fresh and effective. Keeps the scores low.
Lastly, I'm an old school football fan. I love 3 yards and a cloud of dust, hardnose football at it's best.

That said, scoring 70 is a lot of fun, and hard to do without a quick strike O.

[SelmaBamaFan]

I find this interesting, so far all of you have said ball control, but you are known for hanging half a hundred on folks, while at Bama we are known for ball control and wish for more a more explosive offense.

[BoulderSooner79]

Fortunately, I don't have to choose this year :D It's early, but the OU offense has shown it can control the ball running or passing. It has also shown quick strike capability via the pass. The only thing missing is quick strike via the run and they have come darn close a few time and it's bound to happen. Call me greedy.

[Johnny Utah]

I take a ball control O for a couple reasons...
First, if you have ball control, you can set the tempo of the game. Something that's highly under rated in football.
Second, it allows your D to be fresh and effective. Keeps the scores low.
Lastly, I'm an old school football fan. I love 3 yards and a cloud of dust, hardnose football at it's best.

That said, scoring 70 is a lot of fun, and hard to do without a quick strike O.

Agreed. As (I think) Woody Hayes said, "three things can happen when you pass and two of them are bad", so I'd rather rely on the run to set up the pass.

[BornandBred]

Oh yeah, another benefit of ball control... play action. Nothing quite as pretty as a play action deep strike.

[Johnny Utah]

Oh yeah, another benefit of ball control... play action. Nothing quite as pretty as a play action deep strike.

great play ... totally makes the defense look :confused:

[cheezyq]

I'm asking a question per drink from now on, so get ready!

Would you rather have a ball control-running the ball at will offense, or an explosive quick scoring passing offense.

Keep in mind that in this dream situation, both are at the top of their games and are VERY hard to stop. Also keep in mind that one keeps the other offense off the field, while the other can come from behind if need be.

So which is it? Score quick or substained drives? Im interested in your answers since you've had both in your history.

Personally, I like what we have now, which is BOTH. All this talk about MU's offense makes me laugh when you compare the type of ball we're playing this year. MU is a one-trick pony with the spread. With Gresham and Eldridge, Clapp and Murray, we have the versatility to run I-formation one play and shotgun spread the next without changing personnel.

[Leroy Lizard]

Oh yeah, another benefit of ball control... play action. Nothing quite as pretty as a play action deep strike.

Obviously a Sooner who has forgotten the J.C. Watts pitch to the trailing back 20 yards down field. Must be an NFL fan.

[MojoRisen]

I prefer to have quick strike capabilities if I had to choose - We do seem to have both this year.

Ball controll is great most of the time until you get down 2 td's because a team jumped you and even though you are the better team you struggle to get back in the game and run out of time.

Scoring can also get momentum and blood pumping - in 2000 we were a quick strike team...

[OU Adonis]

Ball control. Its hard for the opponent to score when they never have the ball.

[OUTrumpet]

Controlling the ball is one of the most frustrating things you can do to your opponent. Putting your opponent in those desperation 'must score quick' situations can help your defense with pressure (mental-pressure).

Not having ball-control can put you in bad situations too. Look at the OU-Tech game last year. We were down 28-7 at one point. Tech wasn't able to get first downs. They weren't able to run down the time on the clock allowing us to get back in it.

[Jacie]

Insert "passing offense" for "ball control" and this is the same discussion we used to have (i.e. except there was no interweb) when The King was OUr coach and the Sooners won 8 times outa 10 on average.

For over a decade Oklahoma's wishbone offense would grind out yardage and 1st downs till at some point the opposing defense would make a mistake and all at once OUr halfback would take the pitchout, turn the corner and scoot 60 yards for a score. Occassionally, the fullback, after crashing the line for 2 and 3 yard gains throughout the first half would start making 6 and 7 yard pickups in the second half till the defense would wear down completely and he'd burst through for 30, 40 or 50 yards and a score. The one, two or three big plays per game are video highlights but it was the steady pounding for short yardage that was the bread and butter of Barry's offenses.

It was only frustrating when the opposing defense would stuff the run by lining up 8 men in the box and OU was unable to complete a pass to break em. Then the fans would holler for Barry to install a more wide open attack.

The problem with doing that was that OUr entire offense was built around the wishbone. OU had small, quick backs and a quarterback who was essentially another halfback, big but mobile linemen who could move laterally as well as get a push forward, including blocking as opposed to pass catching tight ends, and few wideouts. To do make any serious changes to the offense meant recruiting different kinds of players, players that were harder to find from the highschool ranks because most highschool coaches are more comfortable running the ball than passing it.

I enjoy watching OUr offense now. High-scoring offenses are much more prevalent now than they were in the 70's and 80's. A good ball control offense can slow them down but when such a team falls behind a wide open-type offense, it can be difficult to come from behind.

[Johnny Utah]

Obviously a Sooner who has forgotten the J.C. Watts pitch to the trailing back 20 yards down field. Must be an NFL fan.

Who could forget? A beautiful thing to watch!

[Johnny Utah]

Ball control. Its hard for the opponent to score when they never have the ball.


Controlling the ball is one of the most frustrating things you can do to your opponent. Putting your opponent in those desperation 'must score quick' situations can help your defense with pressure (mental-pressure).

Not having ball-control can put you in bad situations too. Look at the OU-Tech game last year. We were down 28-7 at one point. Tech wasn't able to get first downs. They weren't able to run down the time on the clock allowing us to get back in it.

I would agree that fundamentally good football is about controlling the ball on offense, as well as shutting down your opponent on defense.

[StoopTroup]

Reading this thread will improve my overall College Football experience now.

Thanks! :D

[boomermagic]

Obviously a Sooner who has forgotten the J.C. Watts pitch to the trailing back 20 yards down field. Must be an NFL fan.


That WAS sweet but I prefered a Thomas Lott lead offense or a Jamelle Hollieway offense but same result. I Love the offense we run now but there was nothing like the wishbone..

[OK2LA]

I prefer a ball control arial attack - 2-3 yard strikes

[BoulderSooner79]

An effective offense must have elements of both ball control and big play capability. I grew up watching the OU wishbone and it was the most entertaining for me. But it was not a ball control offense during its best years. Most drives that resulted in points included at least one big play (30+ yds) or 2-3 medium plays (15+yds). If they were forced to grind it out 5 yards at a time, something bad usually happened (negative play, penalty, fumble). Lots of upsides to that offense, but it had its downsides as well. If they met up with a tough defense that could force them to grind it out, the scoring could drop quickly. And if they got behind, they had a heck of a time playing catch up - especially with the clock running out. Probably the biggest disadvantage was off the field. It was hard to recruit the top skill position players when they were going to an offense that held no interest to the NFL. Even at running back, the very top guys wanted to go to tailback oriented systems instead of pure option where the defense could dictate who got the ball.