[Austroturf]

Shawball is beautiful when executed properly (Oregon 2013).  When it is failing, it is the most disheartening spectacle in college football.

I agree that Shaw's offense is especially dependent on execution, and when the execution is not there, it falls especially flat.  That being said, to a lesser or greater extent, all schemes are like that.  I mean, no matter how great your scheme is, you still need the OL to block, the QB to deliver the ball to the receiver who needs to catch it, and the running back to hit the right hole and hold onto the ball.

BC

Yes, agree.  My point is that we clearly don't have the personnel right now to do what Shaw has been successful at in the past.  Out of desperation (evidently, pass-blocking is easier than well-choreographed run-blocking), we passed instead of running into futility.  A trade-off that probably made sense given the threadbare nature of the O-line.  For my part, I would love to see a Toby Gerhart reincarnation plow forward for 4 and 5 yards a pop relentlessly against an overmatched defensive front-line until one of the defenders threatens to "sub himself out".  That's the Intellectual Brutality this current roster simply doesn't have.  

And I liked your comment about the goalie on the Stanford women's soccer team: a bit of that attitude on the men's football team would be welcome.

[Austroturf]

Shawball is beautiful when executed properly (Oregon 2013).  When it is failing, it is the most disheartening spectacle in college football.

I agree that Shaw's offense is especially dependent on execution, and when the execution is not there, it falls especially flat.  That being said, to a lesser or greater extent, all schemes are like that.  I mean, no matter how great your scheme is, you still need the OL to block, the QB to deliver the ball to the receiver who needs to catch it, and the running back to hit the right hole and hold onto the ball.

BC

Yes, agree.  My point is that we clearly don't have the personnel right now to do what Shaw has been successful at in the past.  Out of desperation (evidently, pass-blocking is easier than well-choreographed run-blocking), we passed instead of running into futility.  A trade-off that probably made sense given the threadbare nature of the O-line.  For my part, I would love to see a Toby Gerhart reincarnation plow forward for 4 and 5 yards a pop relentlessly against an overmatched defensive front-line until one of the defenders threatens to "sub himself out".  That's the Intellectual Brutality this current roster simply doesn't have.  

And I liked your comment about the goalie on the Stanford women's soccer team: a bit of that attitude on the men's football team would be welcome.