Could Oregon State Have Invented The Spread Option?

I finally read the "Oregon State Football" book from Kip Carlson published back in 2006. Its a quick read with lots of pictures, facts, and a few good stories that was perfect for football season. My favorite part was to see the great historical photos of how the stadiums changed over the years from Bell to Parker to Reser.

Reading that book got me thinking about recent history and the newest trend in college football, the spread option. Of course, the spread option is the new trendy offense around the college football scene. Our opponents UNLV, Cincinnati, and Oregon all run it and the last two run it very well. Most defenses (especially ours of late) have tons of trouble with it because its so different. And its still very new and unique, so preparing for it can be difficult in the middle of a season.

Remember Jerry Pettibone? How about Dave Kragthorpe? Coach Kragthorpe had a pass heavy "Air Express" offense that piled up yards through the air. Coach Pettibone brought the old triple option offense to Corvallis and ran the ball and gave up the pass. Both teams ran "gimmic" offenses in an effort to turn things around at Oregon State and had some success. Granted 4-7 seasons aren't much to write home about, but it was something.

What if in an alternate universe, coach Pettibone had some foresight and kept the O-coordinator from the "Air Express" days on staff? What if they melded the philosophies of the quick passing game with the option run offense? Would they have come up with the spread option? Probably not. But what they did come up with might have revolutionized college football much in the same way that Urban Meyer did in 2002.

Can you imagine Tim Alexander in the spread option? My guess is he would have been pretty good.

I went to OSU during the Pettibone era, and effectively missed the Kragthorpe era so I don't know if it would have been like mixing oil and water. But I can't help think about the possibilities. And the missed opportunity.

What do you think? Was Pettibone just 10 years too early?