What UT does looks different, but it’s just football. It’s not a gimmick. If anything, it’s not gimmicky enough.
Here’s what I mean: Texas runs a beautiful offense, and you can’t tell from formation what you’re getting. They run at every gap. They throw to every eligible receiver. They run screens and deep routes off the same formation. It’s all misdirection and eye discipline.
UT runs a much simpler core offense in terms of ways it attacks you. Heupel wants to run the ball, and the wide split WRs make it easy to tell if the numbers favor the run. Every wide formation play can be triple option (in theory if not reality): WR screen, hand off, QB run. Pass plays are primarily designed to beat man or give the WR a post-snap choice to adjust against zone. The route tree is less complex but the idea is that you’re primarily throwing into favorable matchups, so you don’t need the same complexity. There is obviously more to the passing concepts for passing downs, but the core offense wants to run into light boxes or throw against isolated defenders.
This year, for debatable reasons, the matchups aren’t clicking. But there’s not a schematic fix that keeps the core offensive principles in place. Width on offense rules out the possibility of out-breaking routes or mesh/spot concepts in a quick passing game. Even a 3-step drop from the QB can require a 20-35 yard throw because of the starting width.
The offense just has to execute better. The OL has to win blocks. The WR/QB combo have to hit on explosive plays when they’re there. If either the run or pass gets clicking, it will open up matchups in the other.
