Bumped. GO BRUINS. -N

Nestor wanted me to put this up in a diary so I will do my best.  I was responding to a comment that nobody effectively stops the spread offense and that we should therefore not count that against DW.

The problem with the idea that nobody stops the spread is that everyone calls different offenses the spread.  According to ESPN, any team that puts at least 3 wideouts on the field runs the spread.  

Originally, the spread was 4 wideouts, 1 RB and a QB always in the shotgun formation.  The goal of the spread is to spread out the defense so much that the middle of the field is vulnerable to short passes and runs up the middle.

By the ESPN definition, my high school team ran the spread since we never used a tight end or a FB and always had 4 wideouts.  In truth, our offense more closely resembled Spurrier's fun and gun with lots of short passes to the sideline, screen passes, and draw plays on a 3-5 step drop.

Missouri's spread works nothing like the "spread" that Florida or West Virginia run.  West Virginia runs a modified option based on misdirection in the running game that commits the entire defense to the line of scrimmage.  That opens up the field so that even short passes go for at least 25 yards since nobody is covering the WR.

Florida runs a more power running attack that mixes in a lot of misdirection to set up Tebow's deep ball to speedy receivers.  That's the reason that Tebow has so many more passing yards and TD's than Pat White.

Texas Tech's spread more resembles the spread that Northwestern made popular (and Missouri seems to use, I haven't watched them much) in that the QB is basically a pocket passer with 5 receivers spread all across the field.  It is an offense based on creating bad matchups with the defense and getting one receiver (doesn't matter which one) open every play.

The "spread" is so popular because the schemes can be fine tuned to fit your players.  The problem with it is that if you run a fine tuned spread and lose your star player, you become Oregon.  For one moment, think about how fragile teams like WV, FL, Cal, Texas Tech, and Hawaii are(they don't run a traditional spread, but ESPN would call it that if it didn't already have a name).  If any of those teams lose their QB, none of them have good seasons, and can lose to any team.

To make a long story short, I don't want DW anywhere near this team, but he never saw a spread in the No Fun League.  It is possible to stop the spread, but each one is different.  To stop WV, you need a defense with a big front 4, disciplined LB's and fast DB's who don't mind playing the run.  WV's offense runs on a principle similar to Nebraska's old option: commit every player to the run and force them up to the line, then block, confuse, and try and make the last guy miss.

The spread is difficult.  But any coach should be able to find a way to at least slow it down.  There is no excuse for any defensive coach to look clueless against the spread.  Having watched College Football my whole life in entirely unhealthy portions, there is no defense that cannot be countered.  The one that seems the most difficult is Hawaii's because of June Jones' outstanding play calling.  

By the way, I am pretty sure his contract is up this year.  Do you think he would be interested in moving to Westwood?