re: piling on.... miles - tressel, jefferson - pryor

The spread option is emrely a variant of the spread. But because it is outside of your preconceived notions, you reject it as not really the spread. It is. Sorry. While I agree sportscasters are lazy with the term, you are guilty of the same sin here.

Some teams use the spread as a pass-first offense while others use it as a run-first option. The Texas Tech Air Raid offense is probably the best example of a passing spread offense. But they are not the only form of the spread. WVU and now Michigan ran a run-first spread under Rich Rod. The spread itself creates gaps by "spreading" the field, hence the term. How you exploit those gaps is up to the individual coach. If you become locked into "the spread must be pass first" or "it must be run first", you miss out on all of its benefits. You can run the offense however you like, even if SFP doesn't approve.