The odd stack, y’all. And it’s not a bad idea.

The odd stack was also known to confuse opponents because it’s so nuanced, and WVU did scramble Alabama and spring a bunch of blitzers unblocked to the quarterback. None of them made the play, but that’s another story for another day.

The list of teams running the true odd stack is short and honestly might not have more than Arizona, where former WVU defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel rejoined Rich Rodriguez, and WVU. The Mountaineers did play some 3-3-5 the past two years, but what Casteel and Gibson do is different. They were there for its creation and they don’t talk much about it. It causes problems because no one else runs it like they do.

The list of teams running the 3-4 is significantly longer, especially in the Big 12. As good as the odd stack was in the Big East, it’s probably better suited to succeed in the Big 12. It features and rewards athleticism and speed, hence the extra defensive back in place of a linebacker or defensive lineman. And you better have fast athletes to defend the pass in this conference or, well, you might look a lot like the Mountaineers did the past two years.

SBNation graphic