But that's your definition of gimmick offense. That the QB is important. And that's what doesn't make sense. The QB is important in every offense.
If everyone shares a given characteristic, then that doesn't make it a gimmick. It's the opposite of a gimmick. It's just football.
Every position is important, but you're on another planet if you can't see that some teams are more over-reliant on their quarterback than others. Oregon's playbook doesn't work if their quarterback doesn't throw for several hundred yards and their team doesn't score 40+ points a game. Yeah, that will get them to 10+ wins in the Pac-12, but it won't win the big games for them.
"Over-reliant" is clearly in the eye of the beholder. I don't see how passing more than running is in and of itself any kind of gimmick (at least not since like 1913 or something). If anything, it's the norm.
By the way, when Oregon beat #12 UCLA a few week ago they had 28 attempted passes and 53 rushing attempts.
In over one hundred years of football, I can't see how "the QB's play is important for the offense to work well" is any kind of gimmick. It's normal. It's the most common case. All offenses need the QB to play well. Some rely more on the running game (and I suppose occasionally some offenses rely on the running game a lot and seldom pass at all) but that hasn't been the norm in a very long time. It's baffling to me that "the QB is too important" is grounds for labeling something as unusual or odd or a gimmick.
Stanford's offense stands out in the current college football landscape to the same degree that Oregon's does.
Here. I'll edit my response.
I don't see how quarterback having to throw for several hundred yards is in and of itself any kind of gimmick (at least not since like 1993 or something). If anything, it's the norm.
Most passing offenses are going to need a good day (like several hundred passing yards) from their QB in order to win (because they are passing more than they run). That's not a gimmick. It's not even unusual and hasn't been for a long time (although I see Oregon's offense as more of a run-based offense - they throw for a lot of yards because you can't stop their running game and have to cheat).
Someone else want to chime in here? Am I crazy that "needs their QB to play well" is pretty much EVERYBODY? Or even if it's just the more pass-heavy teams, that there are a lot of pass-heavy team in college football and have been for like 25 years (and were some before that)?
Anyone?
Inu, I agree with everything you've posted.
It hasn't been a good day for gimmicky offenses. Yeah, everyone knows who these teams are.
The QB touches the ball every play. I would think that would be true of 99% of the plays in football unless its a direct snap to the HB. Therefore, he is the most important player in the offense. He is responsible for reading the defense, distributing the football, calling audibles in ANY OFFENSE.
I dont remember La Tech using lots of trick plays for the past two years. Maybe we watched 2 different tams play? The only thing I found slightly odd was not ever going under center. And if any offense is playing a good defense, they're going to have trouble moving the ball, not just teams that run a "gimmick" offense.
I'm not saying the spread gimmick no huddle offense is the best, only that it works effectively. I tend to like a 2 TE set myself.
Ok, so other than a direct snap to a HB or a field goal attempt, when does he not touch the ball?