I always wondered what happened. It worked so well, and then..... it didn’t.
I think defenses learned to string it out to stop it push the back towards the sideline
Defensive players got quicker and more athletic.
There wasn’t as much emphasis on speed back then with defensive line players. Now they can pretty much come close to running backs in running the 40-yard dash.
The Miami Hurricanes pretty much ended the Wishbone, they owned Oklahoma in the 80s, and that signalled the end of the Wishbone.
Also your quarterback gets pretty beat up playing the wishbone.
Plus, wishbone teams have trouble recruiting the best talent because they want to play what the pro’s do.
1. Rules changes for Offensive Linemen made it MUCH easier to pass block.
2. Coaches began to put their most athletic linemen on defense.
3. Coaches slowly figured out how to defend it.
“I always wondered what happened. It worked so well, and then..... it didn’t.”
Its demise was simple (and it was Notre Dame that killed it in its second Cotton Bowl game against Texas In January, 1971): Don’t follow the ball; tackle everyone.
‘I always wondered what happened. It worked so well, and then..... it didn’t.’
the pro’s don’t like tossing the ball around in the backfield, and they don’t like their QB’s taking more hits than necessary...