[Belfry0304]

Maybe I'm stupid, I really probably am, but I feel like we could see alot of players just playing one side of the ball this year. Then again - I might be wrong.

As far as the Spread Offense, it's something I've studied for a long time. As an Ohio State fan, I've actually tried to figure out ways to stop it. It's tough. Let me analyze it, it might be common sense, but here I go.

Should Belfry put 5 speedy guys on the field with decent hands. To name a few capable - Chase, Nathan, Timmy, Gary, and a realm of possibilities for the 5th. Here's defenses options.

- Establish a zone defense.

- Play man, allow linebackers or safeties to cover extra receivers.

- Bring in extra defensive backs to guard the five wide-set.

However, there's something a good spread offense can do to beat either of these 3 techniques.

- Find holes in the zone and run and pass through them for all they're worth.

- Use the speedier receivers/converted halfbacks to outrun the not as fast linebackers and safeties, make quick cuts easily losing them and getting open for passes - OR - should they be keeping up they'd have trouble, so the Quarterback can run with the ball and get solid chunks of yardage.

- The chances are, the other 3 defensive backs aren't starting for a reason, mix and match to make mismatches and use raw talent to destroy the not-as-good defensive backs.

What makes the spread offense so hard to defend is the way you have to account for 5 receivers and a speedy quarterback. Say you take 5 receivers down field, 5 of your 11 men are covering receivers, commonly, 4/5 of them are on the line blitzing to the quarterback. This leaves only 1 or 2 free men to protect against both the pass and the run. If the quarterback goes where they aren't, those receivers block/The QB makes those 5 guys covering miss, big plays can come all night. The same goes with 4 receivers down field, add in one extra player to guard both run/pass or blitz, however the quarterback can hand off, run the option, run himself, or pass.

The spread option thrives from being multi-dimensional. If a defense is shutting it down one way, there's more options to go to, that can open the shut down option right back up when the other begins to work.

How do you defend the spread? Solid safeties and coverage - everyone else on the field should be fast. Speed kills in a spread offense game. Anyone quick can catch up to the quick running quarterbacks, fast halfbacks, and breakaway receivers. The catch is, muscular power players like Belfry's can bull over one of these guys, one after another. Attempt to wrap up the guy and allow your teammates to wrap up. Four fast players are as strong as one fast strong Belfry player.

But it's not as easy as I make it sound. Some schools won't have the depth to stack up and lose to the spread. Some will, but the surprise element will kill them. It all depends what happens on the field. In the end, if ran correctly, teams could be baffled for hours on Friday Nights and leave the CAM not battered, bruised, and hit hard, but outran, confused, and outcoached.