Bye to the 'bone

Sporting News, The, Oct 3, 1994 by Michael Bradley

"I like to think of us as a triple-option offense in whatever backfield set we're in," Sutton says. "What our different formations do is put more pressure on the defense. They can't zero in on one type of play."

The varied looks also help wishbone teams pass more effectively. Successful 'bone practitioners have always had productive deep threats, largely because the wideouts face a lot of single coverage from runconscious opponents. But bigger, quicker defenders are forcing wishbone teams to add sophistication to the passing attacks. Despite a willingness, progress is coming slowly. Iowa State's top receiver last season was half back Calvin Branch with 16 catches. Army had two players catch 20 or more passes last year, but the Cadets scored only twice by air. Critics continue to assail the wishbone as an awful come-from-behind offense because of its poor passing record. "I'm not sure I ever chose an offense because it was the best one to come from behind in," Summers says. "You choose an offense that fits your personnel and coaching staff."

Iowa State is probably the least pure wishbone team of the four -- "I'm not 'bone to the bone like those other guys," Walden says -- and he did change his game plan when Doxzon went down. The Cyclones are probably the most accurate representation of the offense's future. Army and Air Force may stay in the wishbone, largely out of necessity, and the triple option will be part of college football for a long time to come. But teams will find it harder and harder to commit to the wishbone, because it doesn't produce stars -- outside of quarterbacks -- doesn't feature the pass and doesn't have the entertainment value needed to attract fans. Pettibone says Terry Donahue told him he would love to put UCLA in the wishbone, but he needed to compete for the entertainment dollar in Los Angeles.

"This is an egotistical society," Walden says. "People ask, 'What can you do for me?' Once upon a time, a group of athletes wanted to go to Oklahoma to play football and win games. Now, they want to know, 'What do you run?' If it's a one-back set, the running backs like that, because they all think they're the one back. It's tough to find one back who will be part of three backs, instead of just one.

"I have coached the split-back option, the spread passing attack and the wishbone, and the wishbone takes a helluva lot more work and is a helluva lot more fun."

That fun could be ending soon.

Wishbone dressing

Top five quarterbacks

1. J.C. Watts, Oklahoma (1979-80): Switzer's calling Watts his top wishbone quarterback is quite an honor. "I had a lot of good ones," Switzer says, "but the best combination, running and throwing, probably was J.C. Watts." He amassed 1,568 yards in total offense in 1980 and scored 18 touchdowns.

2. James Street, Texas (1968-69): The original wishbone-meister was an excellent option technician who could pass (1,798 career yards). He engineered the 1969 comebacks against Arkansas and Notre Dame by converting several key fourth-down plays.