Power Ranking the Best Spread Offenses in College Football

The spread offense is taking over the college football world. While it is still not used by every team, it continues to grow. Teams like Oregon, Ohio State and West Virginia love to spread teams out and use their athletes to create mismatches on the defensive side of the ball.

How long the spread offense stays popular remains to be seen, but as of right now, some of the best teams in college football continue to use it.

While there are dozens that run the system, a few stand out from the rest.

Here are the top 10 spread offenses in college football from the 2012 season.

No. 10: Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State has not only the perfect quarterback for the spread offense in Braxton Miller, but also a coach in Urban Meyer who has had plenty of experience coaching it. 

The Buckeyes were undefeated this season, and that was thanks in large part to the spread offense Meyer installed.

The development of Miller over the next few years will go a long way toward the success of this offense.

At the end of 2013, the Ohio State spread offense could be at the top of the list.

No. 9: Clemson Tigers

The Clemson offense has benefited the past few years from having a talented quarterback in Tajh Boyd.

When he leaves, it will be interesting to see how well this offense does. But for the time being, this spread offense will continue to shine.

They love to pass the ball but can also spread it out and run a little bit with Andre Ellington. 

The Chick-fil-A Bowl against LSU will be another huge test for Clemson.

No. 8: Oklahoma Sooners

Sam Bradford and Landry Jones have helped make the Oklahoma offense dominant over the better part of the past decade.

Those two quarterbacks have made things easy on head coach Bob Stoops, and the 2012 season was no different.

Unlike some other teams on the list who love to run the football, the Sooners have passed for over 4,000 yards with just under 2,000 on the ground.

Either way, points are not hard to come by for this team.

No. 7: Northern Illinois Huskies

The Northern Illinois offense is the ultimate balance of the run and pass. During the regular season, the Huskies passed for 3,063 yards while rushing for 3,252.

Quarterback Jordan Lynch was the key to the offense and one of the most important players in the country to his team.

The junior will be a Heisman contender next season after passing for 2,962 yards and rushing for 1,771.

It will be interesting to see how this group fares against the vaunted Florida State defense, as well as how it does next season.

No. 6. Baylor Bears

The Baylor Bears were the No. 1 offense in the country nationally this season, averaging nearly 580 yards a game.

With a total of almost 7,000 yards of offense, the Bears did not have trouble putting up points against anybody, even without Robert Griffin III.

While the defense leaves something to be desired, there are no problems on offense for the Bears, and the future is looking very bright on that side of the ball.

No. 5: Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

Even though Louisiana Tech is not playing in a bowl game, the Bulldogs still possess one of the most potent offenses in the nation.

They ranked second only to Baylor this season in yards per game and love to throw the ball around.

Just ask Texas A&M, which allowed 57 points against Louisiana Tech.

Quarterback Colby Cameron passed for 4,147 yards with 31 touchdowns and only five interceptions this season.

How they do next season will be a huge question with a lot of key parts missing.

No. 4 West Virginia Mountaineers

At one point during the regular season, the West Virginia offense would have been at the top of this list.

Even though they lost five games in a row, the Mountaineers still finished in the top 10 nationally in offense. Quarterback Geno Smith was one of the best in the country at his position, passing for over 4,000 yards with 40 touchdowns.

This offense will take a huge hit next season with the departure of Smith along with some talented wide receivers. Still, it seems like they have been able to transition rather easily in past years.

No. 3: Texas A&M Aggies

Texas A&M burst onto the scene this year in its first season in SEC play.

Led by Heisman winner Johnny Manziel, the Aggies had no problem transitioning into the vaunted SEC.

They had one of the best offenses in the country this season, finishing third in the nation, averaging nearly 45 points a game.

They rank in the top 15 in both rushing yards and passing yards. That is something few other teams can stake claim to.

No. 2: Oklahoma State Cowboys

Oklahoma State is another offense that is seemingly near the top of the country all year. The 2012 season was no different.

The Cowboys finished fifth in the nation in total yards, with over 4,000 passing and 2,500 rushing.

The future is looking very bright on offense for Oklahoma State. They've got plenty of young talent.

Quarterback will continue to be a huge battle in the coming years with Wes Lunt, Clint Chelf and J.W. Walsh all coming back next season.

No. 1: Oregon Ducks

Even though the Oregon offense is not the best in the country statistically speaking, it is definitely the most potent.

The Ducks are a perfect balance of the run and the pass. They have been for a few years now.

The hurry-up style that Chip Kelly has employed in recent years makes things very difficult on the defense.

Oregon continues to be the most talked-about offense in the country and finished second in the nation with over 50 points per game.