Has Harbaugh Invented a New College Offense?

Submitted by Buy Bushwood on October 18th, 2022 at 11:49 AM

Granted, I don’t watch nearly the college football I did in the 90’s, when I was a young man. Back then I had a much better understanding of the offenses of the day.  I understood I-formation Big 10 football from watching Michigan, et al.  Living in Colorado at the time, I got to watch true triple option at Air Force.  Nebraska’s unique power option, some very good Colorado teams running wishbone and I-formation option games.  Houston and the Run-and-Shoot, and there were many West-Coast passing games from BYU and California teams.  The pioneering spread passing game that Mike Bellotti was quietly creating at Oregon, and which eventually cut us apart in 2007 and showed me that CFB had really passed Lloyd Carr by. 

Then I got married, had kids, finished residency, got a vasectomy, etc.- i.e. started real adulting- and the best I could often do for the following 10 years was DVR a Michigan game and try and watch it before I inadvertently learned the score. I feel like I missed about 10 years of in-depth attention to football, and they were a good 10 years to roughly miss, with RichRod and Hokie at the helm for 7 of them, and the SEC taking over.  Now my kids are middle/high-school ages, and follow Michigan football themselves, and it seems we’re watching more games from around the nation and watching UM games with great analysis and concern.  What I’ve seen in the last few years, and appearing to finally culminate now with JJ McCarthy’s talents, is an offensive concept that exists nowhere else in college football and, to my knowledge, never has before.  It may even be that it’s an offense that could only exist with Harbaugh at the helm, because the offense seems to be a doppelganger of his personality. You have to give Harbaugh a lot of credit for having core beliefs (run the ball, win physically over 60 minutes) while at the same time being willing to dramatically evolve in the way he delivers this on the field.    

In the early years of Harbaugh at UM, he seemed to be essentially attempting to run a pro-set Stanford offense, only a bit whimperingly for the lack of dominant OL and lights-out RBs.  All his QB’s also had serious limitations.  Then Gattis came and we moved into something like a spread-to-run power (which seemed to be a detente between Gattis' "speed in space" and Harbaugh's desire to run power) in which the QB didn’t actually run or threaten much. The endeavor generally got by, passing when we needed to. But it didn’t look particularly in synch until late last year (and even then we didn’t do much until the Maryland/OSU finale in which OSU showed, more than anything, IMO, that they didn’t really like the contact part of the sport).  However, in that game, in addition to the ferocity of the OL/TE, I would guess that there were some clever subtleties in the offensive delivery (formations, blocking scheme, etc.) that actually left OSU holding their jocks more often than not and led to the paving as much as the physicality did. We saw intimations of this ability from time to time before, like when we absolutely paved Notre Dame in the driving rain. 

Bringing us now to 2022, Penn State, when I fully realized this silly, ignorant epiphany that I’ve chosen to create a thread about and you're foolishly reading. It was really all the 3 TE formations that finally made me understand that Harbaugh (and staff) have invented a brand new college offense, that is something of a hybrid of many eras of football- it’s read option, modern passing, downhill power running, and even a flying wedge of TE’s. Now, maybe someone will put me in my place and say “oh, the Ravens have run this for years”.  Fine.  I don’t watch professional football so wouldn’t have a clue.  But in college, I don’t believe there exists another team using 3 TE’s to run a spread offense, shifting those TE’s all over both pre and post-snap, like it’s some kind of Fielding Yost offense.  It imposes blocking schemes that no other team can really recreate and allows an overwhelming number of bodies to be thrown into the point of attack on power runs, and that point of attack to be very mobile. We also create constraints on this with a reasonably high-level passing game and other running schemes like zone blocking. When we’re not conducting this offense in the most vanilla way possible to beat the Indianas and Marylands of the world by 17, this seems to create incredible headaches for opposing defenses, which seem perplexed and helpless far beyond what their talent or previous games might indicate. 

Anyway, thanks for reading.  Michigan football remains among the most intellectual pursuits in sports. Who’s got it better than us? 

 

 

Michael Scarn

October 18th, 2022 at 1:35 PM ^

Yes, but my point is that the Michigan offense has themes/elements from each.  Both the Chargers and the Giants like to put a lot of material to one side of the field and use multiple tight ends to create leverage issues in the run game, the Chiefs prefer to get the ball out quickly and like crossing patterns to exploit the middle of the field, while the Bills like to run the ball with QB run threat combined with deep shots over the top.

Simplistic descriptions to be sure, but my point is that the Michigan offense looks a lot like what the NFL looks like, give or take the number of deep shots.

Joined: 01/21/2011

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Michael Scarn

October 19th, 2022 at 12:43 PM ^

MGoBlue lists 479 total offensive plays, 186 passing attempts.  Which is a 62/38 run pass split.  When you consider the game dynamics of the tomato cans and garbage time, it's not that far afield from an offense like the Eagles.

The 5-1 NY Giants run the ball 63.6% of the time.

Basically the entire NFL is running 2 deep shells this year, forcing offenses to move the length of the field.  People who think the NFL's good teams are exclusively pass heavy this year are ignoring the current data in favor of past years' trends.

Joined: 01/21/2011

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Amazinblu

October 18th, 2022 at 12:23 PM ^

Michael, do you think any of the offensive players on Michigan's roster are interested in learning what the teams that you referenced (who play on Sundays) actually do?

Of course, I'm kidding.  It reminds me of a story with Dan Dierdorf, in training camp preceding his rookie NFL season.  His coaches asked him - "Where did you learn to block like that?"   Dierdorf replied - Coaches Hanlon and Schembechler in Ann Arbor. 

Some things, like blocking - have fundamentals, and others, like schemes - may evolve.  It seems to me, that Harbaugh's love and passion for "everything football", means that he'll embrace anything which provides his squad with a competitive advantage that can be used on the field of play.

Joined: 01/22/2010

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FauxMo

October 18th, 2022 at 11:59 AM ^

"Well, my prince, Genoa and Lucca are now no more than possessions, estates, of the Buonaparte family." ~Opening line of this blog post... 

Joined: 06/17/2010

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Indy Pete - Go Blue

October 18th, 2022 at 11:59 AM ^

The ability to do almost everything well on offense is exceptional, but it is not novel. Certainly the creativity of the blocking schemes for the run game is an impressive and unique wrinkle, but calling this the invention of a new office is probably quite generous. There are better offensive minds than mine who can weigh in on the unique nature of our running / blocking schemes. 

One thing is for sure, I am enjoying every minute of this recent Michigan football run!

Your bio sounds eerily similar to mine, missing about 10 years of football for medical school and residency training. Four kids that are high school/junior high age, postvasectomy, and dialing into Michigan football. 

Joined: 01/23/2018

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MeanJoe07

October 18th, 2022 at 12:00 PM ^

They kid tend gym but back my do if to go to the gym and get a new one for me and I will go ahead 🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂 and then I'll go back and forth and go back and get a ride home and get a ride home and get a good job at home 🏡🏡🏡🏡🏡🏡 and I will be there in about an hour or two to get the kids and the girls and the girls coming back to the house and they are coming from a little early but I think we will be able to get together next time we can go to a place to work on the weekend and get a good one for you and your family and I will be able to get you paid for the next one tomorrow and it's not going to be a good day.

Joined: 09/15/2013

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mGrowOld

October 18th, 2022 at 1:06 PM ^

Dude that is TOTALLY how I see it too.  I mean first there's that thing, the thing that happened that most (but definitely not all) were talking about.  And by talking about I mean they were really letting it rip-fly-die my man.  So then, and ONLY then did it happen and happen again.  But wait, there's more (right?).

I'll hang up and listen.

Joined: 10/04/2010

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stephenrjking

October 18th, 2022 at 12:01 PM ^

The variety is very unusual in college, but this isn't something that is revolutionarily new or anything. All of these concepts that Michigan uses already exist. Indeed, that's true of most offenses. Newfangled air raid stuff is really just adapted from the run and shoot, the zone read option was just an adaptation of the old option plays dating back 50 years, and so on.

The blocking schemes Michigan now uses are not things that are new inventions. The use of a variety of blocking schemes to mess with opponent run fits has been a Harbaugh signature since long before he came to Michigan. Moving the point of attack is not a novel concept at all, and you'll find variations of that going back in time through NFL pro set offenses to the veer to USC's student body sweep plays to the full house T formation to the single wing.

Michigan's use of the QB is better now, but that's a function of having a QB that can be a legit running threat. Michigan has tried to bring those guys along for years (we recruited DTR, had DCaff and Milton on the roster, etc) but finally has some consistency. Harbaugh used QB running at Stanford with Luck, and of course he and Greg Roman stormed the NFL with Colin Kaepernick at San Francisco. 

It's not that Michigan isn't unique, because it is, but that uniqueness does not equal a newly invented offense. It really is a case of Michigan developing talent and using it in ways that attack the weaknesses of the defenses they face. Sometimes that involves a lot of TEs (eg Maryland--btw, calling Indiana et all incredibly vanilla is a big oversimplification) and sometimes it does not. 

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Buy Bushwood

October 18th, 2022 at 12:15 PM ^

I agree with you completely.  I just don't think I've ever seen, or heard of, a college team putting together the conceptual components of schematic football history in the way that UM currently has.   I guess the question then is, does putting existing pieces together in a novel way constitute inventing something?  

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Vasav

October 18th, 2022 at 12:31 PM ^

I never thought of it this way and think there's something to this. It feels more evolutionary than revolutionary. Instead of Wisconsin's multiple fullbacks, Harbaugh uses multiple TEs, and seemlessly meshes read-option concepts. He has taken speed in space and married it to the old-school pushing match that football once was, and it does feel like he's zagged when everyone else has zigged, except for the Big Ten west, who has mostly stayed in place. While the pre snap motions and linemen pulling across the formation may not be novel, I do think the frippery of pairing it with a read-option game is somewhat unique, and makes it more effective. He's still challenging both sides of the defense, but doing it with mass instead of (or sometimes along with) speed. That does feel pretty different, right?

Joined: 12/13/2009

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Buy Bushwood

October 18th, 2022 at 12:43 PM ^

I think that's exactly right.  He's created his own, unique run game frippery marrying modern and caveman concepts.  It's got to drive opposing DC's nuts.  They never play it during the year, even weaker versions.  And they can't recreate it well with their scout teams.  Teams do stop it, and we need to operationalize the deep threat more to create a downfield constraint, but when it works right it just bedevils defenses.  

Joined: 10/24/2020

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fishgoblue1

October 18th, 2022 at 1:39 PM ^

As you say, it's not new, but it is unique in today's college football, and even in pro football.  The rules favor a passing attack and most teams are airing it out 30+ times a game.  UM does not, and rarely throws more than 20-25 passes a game.  This makes the offense unique and something new for other teams to prepare for, since they don't see it often.

Joined: 11/16/2015

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TeslaRedVictorBlue

October 18th, 2022 at 12:01 PM ^

I don't know but i have a comment that is unrelated.

I do like watching PTI. I've watched since the early days and I enjoy when there's a positive story about my teams or just analysis in general on some various topics. That said, I know Wilpon hates Michigan... and my Mets, so i just grin and bear it.

But after throttling Penn State in a top 10 matchup and having multiple show segments to talk college FB, they barely said 3 words about it and then had to show that it was the anniversary of the stupid shitty punt against msu, and then used taht as an excuse to show the fucking colorado game fromt he 90s and the app state game.

I'm just venting but what the actual F. Does any other school get this kind of negative treatment? I don't see the "kick 6" shit all over every time we talk about alabama. I don't see any clips from when Clemson'ing was a THING.. and not a good thing. I don't see clips from OSU basically losing every big game 20 years ago (people forget that). 

So irritating. That's all.

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Amazinblu

October 18th, 2022 at 12:40 PM ^

TSRV,  The point you raised about the Big 12 conference, is why I was glad to hear that another team in the B1G hired a DC to come over (from the Big 12) and run their D.

As for PTI and eSECpn - it's nothing but self-serving. It looks like Wilbon was at Northwestern - in the late 70's.   Those weren't good years for the Wildcats on the gridiron, and - I'm pretty sure that Coach Bo / Michigan never lost to Northwestern while Wilbon was an undergraduate there.

Joined: 01/22/2010

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Bk49635

October 18th, 2022 at 1:22 PM ^

Wilbon has been taking cheap shots at Michigan since long before PTI.  In the mid 90s he wrote a Washington Post column titled "Same Old Shuck and Jive,"  accusing both Michigan and Nebraska of being frauds.  Then 1997 happened but he failed to mention either school playing well.  He's a bitter NW alum.  

Joined: 10/30/2016

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Tam Zujac

October 18th, 2022 at 1:32 PM ^

I met Wilbon last year - at a UM event ironically. We had shut down the Shinola store in DC for an Alumni Association gathering a few weeks before Christmas. Wilbon showed up at the door and they let him in because I guess he buys a lot of stuff there and wanted some gifts for his family. I was the only one who recognized who he was but didn't want to bother him. Eventually he passed by me while browsing watches and I told him I was a big fan of PTI. He stopped and drove about a 15 minute conversation with me about Michigan sports and how he loves what Juwan and Jim are building, and that he had a lot of family members around Detroit that were alums so he has always been forced to follow even more closely than what his job requires. I don't think he really hates Michigan but just plays it up. Really really nice guy and fun to talk to.

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Blue@LSU

October 18th, 2022 at 12:04 PM ^

Good question. I'm no expert so other people will have better answers. But it seems to me that this isn't so much a new offense as it is a combination of many different offenses. Try to key on the guards? We'll pull someone else or run counter. Try to follow the TE keys? We'll reverse their direction and hit you with an end around. But don't try to stuff the box because we'll have someone take the top off the defense... 

It just seems that there are so many counters to the opponent's counters that it makes it very difficult to defend.

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funkifyfl

October 18th, 2022 at 1:00 PM ^

I don't know Xs and Os nearly well enough to say whether you're right or wrong, but this seems like something JH and the staff would do. I also think Stephenjr and Vasav's comments above are part of the answer too. But I don't know how to synthesize the two.

 

In other words, JH and staff have combined offensive concepts in a way that allows for them to attack a defense's weakness and as you say, confuse the defense's schemes. But what I don't know is whether the offense's opponent-agnostic plays are sufficient for the better opponents, or whether they gameplan around a defense's schemes/keys. What makes this question even noisier, is that sometimes small tweaks are enough. For example against PSU, how Michigan seemed to coach the RBs to look for cutbacks and called more counters, and the DL played much more contain wrt to Clifford.

 

tl;dr - A couple of posts made sense to me, but I can't verify anything. So how does Michigan gameplan? Specifically with respect to running their typical O vs. opponent-specific stuff. 

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