Question about our offense

**clonedude** · 01-02-2011, 09:53 AM

After watching teams like Oregon, Auburn, Oklahoma, Okie St, TCU, etc this year... I struggle to see why our offense can't have similar success?

These schools named above seem to have a real rhythm with their offenses. It is a spread offense, but it has a tempo to it, and on the face of it they seem to be pretty complex as well.

But all I hear about Herman's system is how difficult it is to understand and learn. Some have said that guys like Capello, Barnett, and our younger WR's just need a few years to really learn this system before it can work. But Oregon has a new QB this year. Cam Newton was brand new this year at Auburn. Okie St has a new QB this year.

And I don't see these teams lining up and backing away on nearly every single play while they get the play from the sidelines. They have a tempo.

So what is the problem with our offense? It is EXTREMELY painful to even watch. And I know that a better QB and some better WR's would help, but that still doesn't explain our lack of rythym or tempo? It doesn't explain how these other teams' players can learn their systems in one year, but ours is so complicated that it takes two years to learn? It doesn't explain that these other teams' offenses actually look a lot more complex than ours does when you watch it on the field. I swear I could count on both hands and feet how many different plays I've seen us run, but you look at someone like Auburn and they look like they run a hundred different plays? But yet, ours is SOOOO difficult to learn... Cam Newton would have had to sit out and RS this year if he came to ISU in order to learn our system?

I guess I'm just sick and tired of our offense ranking about 100th in college football every year... and the best explanation for it seems to be that it is so hard to learn that it takes a while for it to click. And we constantly get false start penalties because our offensive linemen are stuck in a 3 pt stance for what seems like 10 minutes while the rest of the offense stands there with there fingers up their noses staring at the sidelines getting the play.

Sorry for the rant, but I guess I'd like to know what we're trying to do with our offense because it's not working. And if it's so hard to learn, then good luck to Steele Jantz getting it down by next fall.

**cyrocksmypants** · 01-02-2011, 10:02 AM

I'm starting to wonder if Coach Hermann is too smart for his own good. One of those guys that's really intelligent and just assumes no one else can understand what he does. It almost seems like he can't trust our quarterbacks to read the defense and determine if we should run the play or call an audible, so he has to determine if we do so, almost like a boss that's a micro-manager.

**snowcraig2.0** · 01-02-2011, 10:02 AM

It's pretty simple, they have better athletes running it.

**CYVADER** · 01-02-2011, 10:03 AM

i think the biggest difference is that those other schools have better players out of high school-more athletic, bigger, faster, stronger. a lot of our players are going to take 2 years to develop no matter what scheme we run imo.

i do agree with the tempo however. it is hard to watch at times. i think we had our best success when we went to the "jet" mode.

**Cyrok** · 01-02-2011, 10:07 AM

Originally Posted by snowcraig2.0

It's pretty simple, they have better athletes running it.

QFT

**clonedude** · 01-02-2011, 10:10 AM

Originally Posted by snowcraig2.0

It's pretty simple, they have better athletes running it.

And smarter too?

How can Oklahoma and Oregon go an entire drive without ever having to look to the sidelines for a play call? They run right back to the line of scrimmage and go. Why can't we do that? We've run back to back plays without looking to the sidelines, but never an entire drive. Are these team's players smarter or what?

**Aaron Jacobs** · 01-02-2011, 10:13 AM

I feel like you may also be forgetting that the zone read is type of play, and we have different plays to execute it.

**kilroy** · 01-02-2011, 10:16 AM

Originally Posted by cyrocksmypants

I'm starting to wonder if Coach Hermann is too smart for his own good. One of those guys that's really intelligent and just assumes no one else can understand what he does. It almost seems like he can't trust our quarterbacks to read the defense and determine if we should run the play or call an audible, so he has to determine if we do so, almost like a boss that's a micro-manager.

This is possible anyone remember our last BB coach? Herman did do wonders with Rice....

Originally Posted by clonedude

And smarter too?

Better athletes does not mean smarter, think pierre pierce. see first quote, and I dont think you get much smarter than arnaud, more accurate maybe, not smarter.

**Cyrok** · 01-02-2011, 10:16 AM

Originally Posted by clonedude

And smarter too?

How can Oklahoma and Oregon go an entire drive without ever having to look to the sidelines for a play call? They run right back to the line of scrimmage and go. Why can't we do that? We've run back to back plays without looking to the sidelines, but never an entire drive. Are these team's players smarter or what?

No, they are not smarter than ISU's players. Our base offense isn't a hurry-up. We set up at the line of scrimmage fast, so that the defense has trouble substituting. Then we call a play. We're not running the same offense as Oklahoma and Oregon.

**Rogue52** · 01-02-2011, 10:28 AM

There are A LOT of teams in the nation that do the no-huddle check to the sidelines for the play call.

Obviously, the verdict is still out on Herman's offense. I know Rhoads became frustrated with it at points this season. I feel Herman's best called game was against Nebraska.

Next year will show us a lot.

**scyclonekid** · 01-02-2011, 10:59 AM

Well speed kills, our receivers have to learn to not get bumped off the route within the first five yards be tougher and oh yeah catch the damn ball once in a while. Our players are doing just fine just need to run cleaner routes. Herman will get things rolling as will all the coaches just have to remember third year have some patience it will pay off.

**Cyclone1985** · 01-02-2011, 11:43 AM

Simple, we didn't have an accurate QB. QB's make or break your offense when running the spread.

**kilroy** · 01-02-2011, 11:49 AM

Originally Posted by Cyclone1985

Simple, we didn't have an accurate QB. QB's make or break your offense when running the spread.

Have 5 to choose from this year.... that should make at least 20% chance right?

**nhclone** · 01-02-2011, 11:52 AM

If we had LaMichael James, Cam Newton, Demarco Murray, Justin Blackmon, or Andy Dalton, we'd be a lot better also.

**Clone5** · 01-02-2011, 11:54 AM

They are better because they have better players. It isn't that hard to understand. I don't like the look over to the sidelines part of our offense either but we have much bigger problems on the offensive side of the ball.