With the Wisconsin Badgers sorting through a potentially long list of offensive coordinators, one search candidate has begun to stand out of the bunch.
Current UNLV Rebels offensive coordinator, Brennan Marion is somebody who the Wisconsin Badgers are certainly considering to lead the office moving forward. Marion has spent the last two seasons as the offensive coordinator for the rebels and has led the unit to some of the largest offensive numbers they have seen in the program. However, the reason that many people are not sold on Marion and the reason why many fans question Marion is due to the fact that he runs a nontraditional offense.
Since becoming an offensive coordinator, Marion has created and essentially popularized an offensive scheme called the go-go which places a premium on playing, up-tempo our fence and attacking the defense with runs up the middle.
During the first season as the offensive coordinator at UNLV, Marion and the offense recorded 3085 yards passing along with 17 passing touchdowns. On the ground the Rebels recorded 538 total carries for 2429 yards rushing and 39 total rushing touchdowns between the quarterback and running backs.
While some Badgers fans may consider his offense a “gimmick”, there are three base plays in particular that showcase what the offense is about that can truly explain how Marion can have a positive effect in Madison. The following images cannot be inserted, but can be seen at the following link where a wonderful user provided images of the plays.
Breaking Down the Wisconsin Badgers Potential Use of the Brennan Marion Go-Go Offense
The first concept involves both an h-back and a running back in the backfield along with three receivers lined up for the offense. One back will look to chip the edge before sprinting out into the flat for a potentially open read, while the other back will run an inside zone path to allow for the quarterback to option two a run pre-snap.
For the quarterback, the athlete can either hand the ball off and run inside zone to avoid any potential pressure or the quarterback, and also opt to throw to one of the four possible routes that could occur. Additionally, the quarterback also has the ability to run the ball on a bootleg, if the space is given to him.
Another one of the base plays involves the very same personnel set on the field however, the wide receiver to the left of the quarterback will be running an option route, which allows for a greater potential to find open space. The quarterback is again given three different options, where he could either keep the football, run the football with the running back, or potentially pass the football down the field.
The third base play is arguably the most complicated but it again involves the exact same personnel set on the field in this concept. Both backs will shift to the left side of the field, with the quarterback, either opting to run an inside zone with one back, blocking for the other, or a quick pass to the right of the field into the open space.
While the Wisconsin Badgers might not satisfy everything with a potential hiring of Marion, the idea of his offense is very simple and something that could truly help in Madison.
What Offensive Principles Would Brennan Marion Bring to the Wisconsin Badgers?
There are two principles that the office of Marion really focuses on and that is playing up-tempo football and trying to find the open space in the field.
As an overall offensive mind, having coached running backs wide, receivers and quarterbacks all individually, Marion is not opposed to running the ball down the throat of a defense.
At the same point in time, the offensive coordinator is also not scared to throw the ball as much as it is needed. The offense of Marion is so versatile and allows for a multi-headed attack that many defenses will struggle against.
Marion likes to play fast-paced football and likes to find an open space and does this by putting as many players down field as needed. With a combination of the right players and buying into the right talent on the team then Marion could certainly succeed in the Big Ten Conference.
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