Keith Ford, Scout's #2 RB

[Curly Bill]

I usually glance at Rivals for my recruiting fix, but just happened to look at Scout and they have Keith Ford as their #2 running back!

Greg Bryant who Rivals has as their #4 RB is listed as #8 on Scout.

Hopefully out of one of these highly rated guys we'll have our next great back.

[KantoSooner]

On the offensive side of the ball, we're about a decent-plus ground game away from being very, very good.

[Curly Bill]

Despite the recent troubles at the WR position I think we're gonna be ok. In other words I think some of these young guys are gonna be thrown into the water and are gonna be able to swim just fine. What we need is a back to come through for us. Maybe Whaley will be healthy, maybe Finch or Clay will finally put it together, or maybe it will be one of the guys coming in this year like Alex Ross, but we do need someone to step up there.

[KantoSooner]

And maybe we can get Millard some meaningful carries per game. He might not be x or y or z compared to a featured tailback, but he can get yards and the simple act of forcing a defense to guard the middle of the line goes a long way to opening up good things in the passing game.
And, if he gets past the line, the guy has shown he can motor, especially for a big man.

[Curly Bill]

I got no problem with getting the ball to Millard, either getting him some carries or better still in the passing game.

[Curly Bill]

Hopefully we'll have a good pass-catching TE step forward also.

[OU_Sooners75]

Despite the recent troubles at the WR position I think we're gonna be ok. In other words I think some of these young guys are gonna be thrown into the water and are gonna be able to swim just fine. What we need is a back to come through for us. Maybe Whaley will be healthy, maybe Finch or Clay will finally put it together, or maybe it will be one of the guys coming in this year like Alex Ross, but we do need someone to step up there.

We need Williams to come in and contribute right away.

Not sure what is going on in Norman, but to be honest, it looks like OU is going after some bigger backs and better blocking tight ends. Which suggests that OU could be getting away from the spread offense that we have been running the last 4 years.

And to be honest some more, I really hope they are changing to a more pro offense style without that no-huddle crap.

Its time to get back to our roots. Not necessarily the run oriented offense, but a ball control offense that can still sling the ball around when we need too. Much like what we saw when Peterson was here.

[KantoSooner]

75, I usually like your football posts, so take this as a request for information, not a criticism.
You seem pretty anti-spread/no-huddle. Why? It seemed to put some pretty gaudy scores on the board. I'd like to hear your reasoning.

[Curly Bill]

We need Williams to come in and contribute right away.

Not sure what is going on in Norman, but to be honest, it looks like OU is going after some bigger backs and better blocking tight ends. Which suggests that OU could be getting away from the spread offense that we have been running the last 4 years.

And to be honest some more, I really hope they are changing to a more pro offense style without that no-huddle crap.

Its time to get back to our roots. Not necessarily the run oriented offense, but a ball control offense that can still sling the ball around when we need too. Much like what we saw when Peterson was here.

Please no! I'm not a throw it all the time guy, but neither do I like an offense where everyone in the stadium knows who's about to tote the ball, and I feel during AD's tenure we were too predictable.

[OU_Sooners75]

75, I usually like your football posts, so take this as a request for information, not a criticism.
You seem pretty anti-spread/no-huddle. Why? It seemed to put some pretty gaudy scores on the board. I'd like to hear your reasoning.

I am not actually against the spread. I am more against the spread coupled with a no huddle. I love watching OU lighting up the score board too.

That said, I do not like watching OU score 35+ points and get beat. And part of the reason why OU is able to score 35+ and get beat is because the no huddle.

When you have 7+ 3 and outs per game and virtually run no time off the game clock, you are essentially turning your defense into mush.

The reason I like the ball controlling offense: You can actually control and dictate what the other offense can and can't do. And when you can run the ball down their throat and still be able to pass the ball effectively, it opens a ton of opportunity in play calling.

As we have seen it the last 3 seasons, teams will still load the box. But since we cannot effectively run the ball, they make our offense one dimensional. And when throwing the ball, the negatives out number the positives. One of the biggest (not the biggest) negative, is if the pass is incomplete, then the play clock stops.

Our offense has became so pass happy that we can no longer have those game ending drives.

I hope I am making sense...I suck at giving detail on what I am actually thinking...LOL

Both offenses have positives and negatives. But if you can perfect a running game and a passing game it just makes you so much more dangerous. See 2003 as an example. Or even 2008 with the no huddle.

Also, what good is it to have a no huddle if you are taking 20 seconds to snap the ball anyway?

[OU_Sooners75]

Please no! I'm not a throw it all the time guy, but neither do I like an offense where everyone in the stadium knows who's about to tote the ball, and I feel during AD's tenure we were too predictable.

Not what I am talking about....I am talking about an offense that can run the ball when they want to. A offense that can also throw the ball when they want to. Where one is as dangerous as the other.

Not where one is so inept that you have to bring in 2 FBs, 2 TEs, and a 260 pound QB to gain a first down from 3rd or 4th and 1...or to score from 2 yards out.

[KantoSooner]

Hmm, okay. I get at least aspects of your postion. I guess, I kind of like coming to the line and freezing the defense and then recalling your option at the line. I sort of thought we had three problems:

1. No real running back (after Whaley got hurt)
2. Mediocre, at best, run blocking
3. A patchwork Dline with questionable conditioning and a defensive scheme that didn't blitz enough. (why, oh why did we stop blitzing Griffin. Does anyone know? It was working.)

But I played on a crappy high school team and have never coached (which is a stroke of luck to both a generation of players and to the sport itself), so my judgement is suspect.

[OU_Sooners75]

Hmm, okay. I get at least aspects of your postion. I guess, I kind of like coming to the line and freezing the defense and then recalling your option at the line. I sort of thought we had three problems:

1. No real running back (after Whaley got hurt)
2. Mediocre, at best, run blocking
3. A patchwork Dline with questionable conditioning and a defensive scheme that didn't blitz enough. (why, oh why did we stop blitzing Griffin. Does anyone know? It was working.)

But I played on a crappy high school team and have never coached (which is a stroke of luck to both a generation of players and to the sport itself), so my judgement is suspect.

With all due respect my friend:

What you mentioned happened last year, not for 3 consecutive seasons.

However, what has happened the last 3 consecutive seasons, a lack of a dominating run game.

Hell, I would be all for a no huddle offense if it was just like 2008 (not talking points wise either). If the offense can dominate the run game and the pass game.

There is also nothing wrong with huddling once in awhile to take some time off the clock.

[OU_Sooners75]

Also, let me add this:

A far as a lack of a dominating run blockers. To a point you are correct. But the biggest problem with our run blocking isnt the players as much as how many snaps they take and have to protect against the pass rush.

Trust me on this one, pass blocking takes a lot more energy than run blocking. It also takes a lot more mental game too.

Run blocking you fire off and you make contact, place your helmet between him and where the ball is suppose to do and just keep contact with him and do not let him penetrate the line.

Pass blocking you actually take a step or more back and let the guy come to you. If no one is on you, you keep your head on a swivel and look for the guy coming free or the blitzing person. And you do not want to have up close contact with the defender, you want want to keep him at arms length away...if you are between him and the QB, and he is arm lengths away, he isnt getting a sack.

There are other aspects of it, but this just a generalize run down.

If you are used to sitting on your heels and pass protecting, you are going to lose that fire of run blocking. It takes an attitude to excel at run blocking. And when I played, we all had it, because that was what we did most, run.

[BoulderSooner79]

I have no problem with the no huddle, but it is like any other scheme: you must have the personal to run it effectively. Obviously we did in '08 - not so obvious in years since. We certainly did *not* in '09. And regarding 3-and-outs, they will kill your defense no matter what offense you're running. After all the moaning about what went wrong in the TT game last season, the stat that jumped out at me was 6 straight 3-and-outs. 3-and-outs should be very hard for a defense to get given the advantages to offense has in knowing the play. 6 in a row by a top tier team just should not happen, and certainly not against the likes of TT. And as far as running to clock goes, there is no reason a no-huddle team can't drain the clock. In fact our O often snaps the ball with just a few ticks left on the play clock much to the chagrin of many posters here. But I also don't see why we can't mix no-huddle with huddle. I would think that would have to cut down on communication errors that could lead to mistakes. And it would also cut down on the other team figuring out our signals.

[8timechamps]

I usually glance at Rivals for my recruiting fix, but just happened to look at Scout and they have Keith Ford as their #2 running back!

Greg Bryant who Rivals has as their #4 RB is listed as #8 on Scout.

Hopefully out of one of these highly rated guys we'll have our next great back.

Don't forget Alex Ross. He'll factor in well before either of those guys.