The main reason Eddie had to be married to the run game, his QB Coach was not good and couldn't recruit a QB where throwing was an option. The one time he got close, Bama came calling and Hinshaw lost his shit over it. Stevie could throw the long ball but lacked consistent touch and timing.
About Stoops handcuffing the offense
- Thread starter tdcat
- Start date
You’re going to have to get in a few more posts before I’ll care what you think at all.
IMO quarterback recruiting was historically weak here because higher ranked QBs didn't want to play in a run oriented offense. I don't think it's a deep dark secret that Stoops has historically been committed to winning by running the football, controlling the clock, field position and playing great defense, and there's nothing wrong with that. Over the years that has been a successful formula for Bama, tOSU and other elite programs, but within the past few years times have changed. College football especially in the SEC has become more like the NFL with a strong passing game being necessary to make it to the top. Stoops has recognized this. Now that we have an OC that can field a balanced NFL style offense with a formidable passing game, the quarterback talent is lining up.
I agree with everything you said. It was going to be difficult to change that perception if EG stayed. As you said, he fell on the sword so the perception could change. I think EG should have fired Hinshaw the minute he tweeted @ Mac Jones for flipping. That move might have changed things sooner from a perception standpoint with the right QB Coach/Recruiter.
Hinshaw was his QB coach at UC as well so I’m not sure that argument holds much water.
And comparing AAC defenses to SEC defenses is probably even less of an argument. You can't always run the same system conference to conference. Add to that, as has been mentioned earlier in this thread, when you're not deep on defense, you have to play more methodically.
You were the one who specifically said he couldn’t run a pass oriented offense because if who his QB was. I was merely pointing out that was factually incorrect. Add whatever additional arguments you want but your first statement simply was wrong.
I guess I don't understand your point of view. Johnson and Wilson were good passing quarterbacks? Hinshaw improved their passing ability while at UK?
My point was you said Gran couldn't run a pass oriented offense at UK because of who his QB coach was. That is simply false. Gran ran a pass oriented offense at UC with the same QB coach. His QB coach had no impact on whether Gran/UK ran a pass oriented offense. You can say Stoops didn't want him to because Hinshaw didn't recruit a passing QB (although Johnson was a decent passer) but that again falls on Stoops preference for what the offense should be and not on Gran (or in this case Hinshaw). Almost every argument anyone can make falls back on what Stoops wanted the offense to do and be. While it might not have been Stoops goal to handcuff the OCs/offense, making the decisions he did about and utitilizing the offense as he did absolutely handcuffed the OC and the offense. The OCs may have agreed with Stoops on what the offense should look like and do but those decisions limited the playbook or in other words, handcuffed the offense until Stoops realized he had to open it up more.
So, you prefer Stoops stay out of it totally? Wether you’re better at one thing versus the other shouldn’t matter? They ran play action with Johnson but didn’t run a ton of short and intermediate routes. My guess would be that Gran figured they would be just as likely to to extend the drive with SJ and Snell’s legs as he would be dinking and dunking with SJ’s arm. Stoops made reference to getting balanced on Offense several years before he and Gran parted ways. He gave the staff in place ample time to get it figured out and then made the move. Curious that Coen’s first move was going out and finding a quarterback.
I never said Stoops should stay out of it. I said he impacted (whether positively or negatively) the offense which includes handcuffing it. I'm not totally convinced Stoops really believe the getting balanced on offense he mentioned. At least not the way most fans perceived balanced. I think at the time he thought an 80/20 run pass split was balanced. I don't think he feels that way anymore with the success Saban (who Stoops is like philosophically) has seen with the change in offensive approach. The question isn't whether Stoops handcuffs the offense now (I think he has given Coen free reign on the offense) but whether he has in the past and I don't see any way the answer is anything but yes he did.
Nuance, but I see it differently. I think Stoops is fine giving any of the previous OCs total control of play calling as long as they are successful in what they are doing and can make the case for why they need to stay the course when not successful... ie... need the reps for whatever position is needing to work the bugs out.
I think Stoops is definitely influential on the overall gameplan, I said as much during the season this year. Most every season thus far, as least in my eyes, it make sense to play the style we have been playing. We haven't had a group of receivers cable of carrying the load or a quarterback that could consistently get the ball to them. So, if you're good at running the ball, do that and not waste a good defense trying to something you're not very good at.
