We talk about tailoring the offense to the players, and I agree to a point, but it raises the question in my mind: what is the right offense for our guys? I am not so sure that Vad would be that great running option out of the backfield. Thus far, when we do, he looks just as bad making reads out of that MESH too (small sample size, I admit). He will still need to make equivalent pitch reads on the edge that he has struggled with in our offense. He has the apparent body type, throwing ability, and speed (last year) to do it. I just don't know. If you ask me (and don't start hyperventilating like I am calling for the 3rd string guy, because I am not) Byerly has made the best reads and handled the deep MESH better than either of our other guys. I would put JT second as far as that goes.
If Vad does improve at option reads, why not leave him in our current scheme? One of his biggest strengths is the speed and depth of his drop. He won't be hurt that much staying under center. It may turn out that we run a lot more deep stuff next year and I will be fine with it, if it happens. However, I want to do it because we prove we are actually better at it and not because it is trendy or fancy.
One of the hardest temptations to fight is seeing a team have a great game and then say why don't we copy what they do? I am still scratching my head over how Missou was lined up. Had they come out like that against the flexbone, GT would have had a field day too. It was ridiculously easy for Allbarn to seal the edge last night. I mean, Missou had 3 DLs all bunched well inside the OTs with every other defensive player at least 3 yards back off the LOS. Blocking angles were so easy to get. You have to go all the way to Mickey Andrew's (FSU) first attempt against us in 2008 (2 DTs crashing the center trying to stop the dive) to see a scheme that stupid. Just close your eyes for a second and think about what we would do against a defense that put a TOTAL of 3 players on the LOS. Most of the year we were facing 6. Obviously, Missou hadn't played against any option in a while and their DC was a little ill prepared with the single week he had. Until this week he had no reason to even anticipate having to make such decisions. Do you think Missou was busily preparing option defensive strategies in the off season? Nobody runs it in the SEC, nobody besides a team that wasn't on their season schedule.