Against The Spread

The spread offense so popular among college football teams these days doesn't only create problems for opposing defenses.

It gives NFL evaluators fits too.

The shotgun-based spread, which uses multiple receivers to stretch defenses from sideline to sideline, will be in the spotlight when the winner of the 2008 Heisman Trophy is named tonight in New York.

All three of the award's finalists -- quarterbacks Sam Bradford of Oklahoma, Tim Tebow of Florida, and Colt McCoy of Texas -- ran a variation of the spread this season, combining for a staggering pass-run total of 11,629 yards and 135 touchdowns.

You would think those numbers would rocket those quarterbacks to the top of every NFL draft board, but numbers don't tell the whole story.

The challenge, from the perspective of pro coaches and scouts, is that their teams don't run spread offenses, and quarterbacks are not typically in the shotgun. That makes it very difficult to project how these Heisman finalists -- as well as college quarterbacks in general -- will make the adjustment to the next level. Many don't.

"Every team probably has to think about that a little more given the Alex Smith situation," Seattle Seahawks Coach Mike Holmgren said, referring to the former Utah quarterback taken No. 1 by San Francisco in 2005. Smith has struggled mightily as a pro.

"Marvelous college player," Holmgren said. "I mean, really effective. Urban Meyer was his coach. He's running that same thing with that young man [Tebow] at Florida right now. A wonderful player. So, as evaluators, at that position, you really have to be diligent and make sure that you firmly believe they can come into our league and do it.

"As a steady diet, the quarterback is not going to run that offense in our league. He wouldn't last."

Heisman-winning quarterbacks already have to live down a stigma when they make the transition to the NFL. There have been 12 of them over the last 20 years, and only USC's Carson Palmer has risen to the level of elite pro quarterback. Far more common are the riches-to-rag-armed tales of Heisman winners Andre Ware, Gino Torretta, Danny Wuerffel, Chris Weinke and Jason White.

There are all sorts of theories, other than the proliferation of the spread offense, to explain why those Saturday stars wound up getting the Heisman stiff-arm from teams that play on Sundays.