Then or Now?

The inaugural post in this blog comes from a question my wife asked me a few months ago.  We were watching the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary "You Don't Know Bo."  She asked: Do you think college football was better in the 80's than it is now?

This caught me a bit off guard.  I had just gotten done explaining how spoiled football fans were in the early- to mid-80's with Hershel Walker, Barry Sanders and Bo Jackson all playing so close in time to one another.  I marveled at the highlights, jealous I never got to really see them play.
After some time, I took the cop-out answer and said, "It's not that it was better or worse back then, just different."  Very informative, I know...

Between Walker, Sanders and Jackson, you have arguably the best power, speed and combo-backs in the history of the game of football.  Only three other running backs even belong in the conversation: Jim Brown, Walter Payton and Gayle Sayers.  For what it's worth, if I had to choose between these six runners, I'd pick Barry Sanders to build my team around.

More to the question at hand: in the 80's, you had teams running the wishbone and option offenses.  Now, only the service academies run those formations.  Today, most teams operate out of the shotgun with 3-, 4-, and 5-wide sets.  I suppose it's worth mentioning that Alabama runs a "pro-style" offense--primarily under center with a fullback, running back, two wide outs and a tight end--and the Crimson Tide have won three out of the last four BCS Championships.  These difference in philosophies make it nearly impossible to compare the eras.  Running backs aren't the feature players, and as a result, there are fewer "great" running backs.  They are simply complimentary players or extensions of the passing game as outlet receivers or extra blockers in the backfield.  I don't know how Walker, Sanders or Jackson would have fared in today's game.  Though I am certain Sanders would not have set the single-season rushing record.  With today's offensive systems, we are treated to scores routinely totaling in the 70's; in the previous era, teams may have combined to score 40 on a good day.

So, the question should not have been "Was college football better in the 80's," it should have been "Do you prefer ground-and-pound or air raid offenses."  The answer to that is easy.  I am a child of the 90's, I need things now: College football is better today than it was in the 80's.