Reason #2. SEC defenses are getting faster by the minute. Don’t believe me? Just ask Ohio State. The Spread is designed to counter defensive speed by forcing man coverage. The problem for the defense is, most teams don’t have 5 or six quality man coverage guys to throw at you during the course of a game. And don’t even think about playing a soft zone. Even a mediocre QB could pick that apart with this offense. And because the defense is spread so thin, every defender must be a sure tackler because one missed tackle and the running back or receiver could be off to the races.
Reason #3. This offense gets many opportunities to score. Franklin’s fast-paced no-huddle version of the Spread ran 90 plays in the Chick-fil-a Bowl. Compare that to the number of plays Auburn ran before Franklin’s arrival. In the Iron Bowl Auburn ran just 63 plays in a 17-10 win against ‘Bama.
The quick pace of this offense also translates into an aggressive on-the-field attitude. Gone are the days when Auburn would sit on a 7 point lead in the 2nd quarter. This offense will not let up until the final whistle blows.
Reason #4. This offense sells tickets. You’ve heard the cliché—defense wins games. In the SEC, coaches live and die by these words. But, there’s another part to that old saying that is equally true. That is, offense sells tickets. Most of you are probably thinking that you’d rather actually win games than worry too much about making next month’s mortgage payment on the stadium.
Athletic Directors, however, don’t have the luxury of being as financially irresponsible as the rest of us. Making money is why they take this sport so seriously. No, really. I hope you didn’t think your school puts so much effort into football because you like it. Sorry to bust your bubble, but you were bound to figure it out sooner or later.
Regardless of what we SEC fans say, nothing is more fun to watch than an offense that resembles a high-flying circus act. I loved watching Spurrier’s offense when he was at Florida. T’was a thing of beauty. Offense really does sell tickets, and by the end of the season, the Powers That Be at Auburn will wonder why Tubs didn’t think of this sooner.
Sign up now to receive our Auburn Football newsletter. All the best articles, videos, and podcasts from around the web delivered to your inbox twice a week.
10 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete