Texas Tech had some games last season where the offensive playcalling was, well, perhaps a bit frustrating to put it politely. But there is a concern besides how Kittley Called games that has been a bit less noticeable but is a serious issue. Texas Tech’s offensive formations are boring, and easy to read.

Tech had a bad habit to get into base formations, and run the same base concepts out of them. Naturally, defenses start to key on these tendencies. Of course, the OC is looking to bait the defense by doing this, looking for them to bite on fakes and open up the screen game or concepts over the top. But here is a better way, in my oh so humble opinion, to generate better offensive success without needing to really change much of the system: Pre-snap movement.

Pre-snap movement has three benefits. First, the motions and shifts can confuse defensive assignments as defenders are forced to communicate the changes and move accordingly. And in college, there is no guarantee they keep up with the situation effectively. Secondly, the shifts reveal coverage shells. Offensive playcallers can see from the booth how the defense reacts, and potentially gleam if they are facing zone or man. It can also reveal the holes in the coverages, and allow for hot routes or overall play changes to exploit them. Finally, pre-snap motion keeps a defense guessing. The simple act of motion a TE across, or sending a receiver in motion, makes it harder for opposing coaches to guess what is coming next.

Now is pre-snap motion a cure all? Of course not, but for Tech’s offense to take the step forward it needs a bit more window dressing would go a long way.