I watched triple option football for 4 years at the Air Force Academy (and the 11 years since I graduated). The only time it’s not fun is when you lose...just like Every. Other. Offensive. Style. And we’ve seen plenty of examples of service academies doing well recently.
I think people assume that just because we go triple option, we would look exactly like Air Force, Navy, or Army. (When it comes to size/speed/athleticism)
This won’t be the case. The service academies have a tough sell when it comes to recruiting:
1. They have certain weight standards that have to be met, so they can’t automatically go after the biggest guys, even if those guys WANTED to come. (OL and DL are most affected here)
2a. Academic standards are very high. Even if a player can get in, staying eligible is tough work and really displays the “student” part of student athlete.
2b. If the players CAN’T get in right away (which is A LOT) they go to a prep school. Basically it’s an automatic redshirt. This could deter some guys from coming who could play right away at a school with lower academic standards.
3. Recruiters have to try and hide the fact that these kids will be going to a military school. Many of the players think they will be coming to play football and that the non-football players are the ones in the military. It’s a rude awakening on day one when they are getting screamed at by training instructors/senior cadets. Some players find out about this and decide not to go. Others leave quickly and a select few stick it out.
I say all of this to show that the school itself is more of a deterrence to getting top talent than the style of football. Service academies run the triple option because it makes them competitive with the limited talent they are able to pull in.
Illinois would have NONE of those restrictions. (With the exception of academic...but it still isn’t as tough as the academies)
So, even if we ran a triple option offense, much like Gritty has said, it could/probably would include lots of high caliber players because we are recruiting to a B1G school and not a service academy.
Thus, it will be exciting. (As long as we win)