[jacketree]

Oh no, the 2001 offense was really good; I just don't understand what is so insanely different about it [scheme] to justify the pining in some (one?) quarters we read here.

I think 2001 was Willingham's best team by far, and the team consistently put up really big scores.  (Point Teejers.) Here are the total points in order; and the margins of victory, also in order, noting the two lists don't correlate by game. (That latter point is important in the grand scheme of things too.)

51              +27
51              +23
49              +16
48              +14
41              +10
39              +7
38              +7
35              +5
28              +4
21              -6
17              -10
14              -14

We should probably compare best to best.  I'm not sure what the consensus is on Shaw's best squad, and I'm tempted to use 2011 because I remember abject domination of games.  Some might say it is too soon after Harbaugh, so should we use 2015?  Let's just do this year, because both coaches are in their seventh season and the seasons are remarkably similar outside of the new divisional format and title game.  9-3 in 2001; 9-3 after 12 games in 2017. Even the general level of competition isn't that different.

62            +55
58            +42
49            +24
38            +18
34            +10
30            +8
24            +3
23            +3
21            +1
17            -3
17            -3
15            -18

2017 was capable of more dominant games than 2001 showed.  Offense plays into defense and ST and vice versa.  2017 was also capable of getting bogged down on offense more than 2001 showed.

Lastly I ended up watching the 2001 game against #5 UCLA on Youtube last night.  Honestly, it felt a little like watching the UW game this year.  There was even a backward pass (clearly backward in 2001) that UCLA housed to open the scoring.  Almost the same play they ran this year against USC, just to the other side.  So still scratching my head about what "going back to that offense" really means.  Just more plays every game?  Pretty close to the same stuff.  Granted they didn't use Ogre back then.  Still think that is Harbaugh being too cute.  Or maybe that was always a Shaw thing.

And just to round it out here is the list for 2011 with the same 12-game rule, since I was curious. Damn. Maybe someone slipped a digit and we should pine for the "2011 offense".  Hey Tavita was around for that, right?

65            +54
57            +44
56            +41
48            +30
45            +30
44            +27
44            +26
38            +25
37            +8
31            +7
30            +3
28            -23

[jacketree]

Oh no, the 2001 offense was really good; I just don't understand what is so insanely different about it [scheme] to justify the pining in some (one?) quarters we read here.

I think 2001 was Willingham's best team by far, and the team consistently put up really big scores.  (Point Teejers.) Here are the total points in order; and the margins of victory, also in order, noting the two lists don't correlate by game. (That latter point is important in the grand scheme of things too.)

51              +27
51              +23
49              +16
48              +14
41              +10
39              +7
38              +7
35              +5
28              +4
21              -6
17              -10
14              -14

We should probably compare best to best.  I'm not sure what the consensus is on Shaw's best squad, and I'm tempted to use 2011 because I remember abject domination of games.  Some might say it is too soon after Harbaugh, so should we use 2015?  Let's just do this year, because both coaches are in their seventh season and the seasons are remarkably similar outside of the new divisional format and title game.  9-3 in 2001; 9-3 after 12 games in 2017. Even the general level of competition isn't that different.

62            +55
58            +42
49            +24
38            +18
34            +10
30            +8
24            +3
23            +3
21            +1
17            -3
17            -3
15            -18

2017 was capable of more dominant games than 2001 showed.  Offense plays into defense and ST and vice versa.  2017 was also capable of getting bogged down on offense more than 2001 showed.

Lastly I ended up watching the 2001 game against #5 UCLA on Youtube last night.  Honestly, it felt a little like watching the UW game this year.  There was even a backward pass (clearly backward in 2001) that UCLA housed to open the scoring.  Almost the same play they ran this year against USC, just to the other side.  So still scratching my head about what "going back to that offense" really means.  Just more plays every game?  Pretty close to the same stuff.  Granted they didn't use Ogre back then.  Still think that is Harbaugh being too cute.  Or maybe that was always a Shaw thing.

And just to round it out here is the list for 2011 with the same 12-game rule, since I was curious. Damn. Maybe someone slipped a digit and we should pine for the "2011 offense".  Hey Tavita was around for that, right?

65            +54
57            +44
56            +41
48            +30
45            +30
44            +27
44            +26
38            +25
37            +8
31            +7
30            +3
28            -23