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Well guys LSU has been matched up with Georiga Tech. It's no reall secret that Georiga Tech runs the option. Well I play MLB on a high school football team that runs the exact same flexbone, double wing, triple option crap that they run, so I'm gonna give you a little inside view on how it works (atleast in our similar system), and how to stop it.

 I'm not gonna sit here and tell you that nobody knows how to stop the option, becuase I would be lying to you. Coaches know how to stop the option, but it's a relativly hard play for defensive player, especialy LB's to comprehend and get to where its second nature and they know what decision to make the second they have to make it.

I'll start with the pre-snap stuff. At the begining of the play the first thing that the linbackers look for is the fomation thier in. It doesn't matter if there is only one unbalanced wing back or two two balanced ones, either way the option can go either way. The second thing you look for is motion, if a player comes in motion each Linebacker shifts a foot to the side that he's motion to, but stays balanced because it still can go either way. When the ball is snapped the Linebackers have the hardest job.

The play side Linebacker has to reckonize immediatly that the play is going his way and step up, buzz his feet and stay near the pitch man without letting him get inside of him while keeping his body square. It's the corner and saftey's job not to let that man get outside so he can not give him a lane to cut in by getting inside (I've been chewed out for doing this many times). The Middle linebacker has to immeidatly realize what side the play is going to as well and quickly get over the top of the line or the box without being blocked. So basicly his goal is to get off of the defensive end's outside butt cheek and buzz his feet and wait on the QB. During this whole time the MLB has to stay square to the line of scrimmage and not let the QB outside while squeezing him enough to not allow and inside cutback lane. The problem most teams have is that thier MLB always sees the Fullback dive and bites on it, then the QB has nobody to contest him so he keeps the ball and has at the least a crisp, easy, uncontest 8 free yards or more. The backside Linebacker has to immeiatly realize that he cannot chase the play down in the backfield so he has to just run full force to help stop the dive by the fullback. 

I understand that it's hard to understand just by reading it like that so I'm going to go ahead and provide you with an example to explain it better.

Alright, I'm the Right Outside backer, I see the offense come out in a regular flexbone, double wing set. I glance at the line to make sure I'm atleast 5 yards from the line of scrimmage. The wing back on the other side motions towards me, I automaticly without thinking shuffle over a few feet to the point where I'll be in better position to make the play if they run to my side, but not out of the play if they don't. The QB snaps the ball and options to the Fullback on my side and the wing nearest to me comes out as a lead blocker. I immediatly step up and avoid the lead block or atleast closeup the lane to where the pitch man could not cut up the middle when the Saftey and Corner apply the outside pressure becuase there is a blocker in the way.

Alright, now I'm the middle backer, same thing, flexbone double wing, man comes in motion, I slide over a bit, and when the ball is snapped I see the left wingback is a lead blocker and the right wing back has come in motion, so I'm automaticly over the top by the defensive end's outside butt cheek buzzing my feet, staying square and not giving heQB anywhere to run.

Same thing, except now I'm a LOLB, the ball is snaped, i don't pay attention to where anyone is going, I just fly to where the dive is and help out the line.

 There are a few exceptions, but not many to these rules. One thing you have to watch as a middle backer though is the trap, if you see a pulling guard and no possiblity of a toss, then you have to take the dive in that case.

 The option has been figured out guys, it's just a matter of applying it to the players. I've been playing against the option for more than 8 years as a defender and I still have mental lapses. It's a hard system to defend, but if you catch someone on the right day in which things are clicking you'll lose. Because if everyone plays there asignment correctly against the otion, it will be a 3-4 yards loss almost everytime. But on the reverse side of that, if one player plays it wrong one time, it will make you look stupid.

I'm not gonna say that LSU will do exactly this, but I can guarentee that it will be along these lines. The fact that this bowl game is so far away plays to LSU's advantage, because the more time you have to learn how to defend the otion the easier it is to stop and it also plays into our hands that many of our players played against the option alot in high school because Louisiana has more triple option teams than most states.

Well thanks for reading, I love sharing the knowledge that as come from years of being a defensive coordinator's son, have a great day, a merry christmas, and happy new year.