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Yep, the blog is back -- assuming my Internet connection doesn't go kaput by the time I finish it.

A few scattered thoughts on a snowy Monday morning:

-- The blog took a trip to the backburner once Dabo Swinney shook up his staff two days after the bowl debacle. This is a fun deal to throw together every weekday morning, but it's all hands on deck when there are coaching openings being filled.

My biggest question once the running back vacancy gets filled is: Will the turnover stop at three?

-- We need to come up with a different name for Chad Morris' offense. "Spread" is just way too general and imprecise. In fact, one could argue it's not even accurate given how often there are two and three guys in the backfield (including the quarterback).

Here's what Morris told Cris Ard last night in Morris' first interview since he took the job at Clemson:

"It's misconceived at times. People think you have to have four or five wideouts. We're a 2-back football team that will spread you from sideline to sideline and end zone to end zone. We are going to be balanced and physical running it."

The "spread" has so many variations now. Mike Leach's spread is completely different from the approach run by Morris, Gus Malzahn and Chip Kelly.

I prefer "Eye Candy" when labeling what Morris does because of all the visual distractions meant to disguise a small number of basic plays.

-- Here's what I make of the evolution of the "spread" from what Rich Rodriguez was doing at Clemson in 1999 and 2000, to what guys like Morris, Malzahn and Kelly are doing now:

Rodriguez stretched the field horizontally and forced defenses to cover every inch of the 53 yards from sideline to sideline. The new wave of gurus have added a vertical element to it, stretching defenses both ways. So when you add Cam Newton to the equation, you get a combination that is basically unstoppable. Get defenses preoccupied with the horizontal stuff, and Newton flicks a ball 50 yards downfield to a receiver who is, at worst, single-covered.

Morris, of course, is a disciple of Malzahn. So it should be no surprise that Morris, as he told Cris last night, aims for 12 deep balls a game.

-- Excellent article on the evolution of the "spread" from Birmingham News writer Jon Solomon, who used to cover Clemson.

Here's Malzahn's take on classifying it as a spread:

Gus Malzahn can't stand the "spread offense" moniker. It's blasphemy to say that when describing his offense in front of him.

"No, I like two-back, run, play-action," Malzahn said. "When you think of spread, what comes to my mind is pass to open up the run. We're run to open up the pass."

Another interesting take from Malzahn:

Malzahn used to enjoy throwing the football constantly and loved Steve Spurrier's pass-happy teams at Florida in the 1990s.

"I wear the visor. I probably got it from him," Malzahn said. "I loved his approach. He was different than everybody else."

-- Speaking of Spurrier, I'm in a fascinating, spirited debate with a friend: Who was more influential to college football, Spurrier or Rodriguez? I'm arguing Rodriguez because the innovation he brought in the late 1990s was instrumental in completely changing the way offensive football is played, culminating in what we'll see in tonight's BCS title game.

It has to be understood that the debate centers on influence and not who will go down as the better coach (it's Spurrier by a mile because of his success).

No doubt Spurrier was influential in revolutionizing a conference. But I submit that Rodriguez was as influential, and probably more so, in revolutionizing college football.

The zone-read was truly wacky back in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Now it's so common that the I formation looks almost odd by comparison.

It's a great debate, though. Interested to hear some thoughts from you folks.

I've enlisted Ryan Bartow to consult his college and high school coaching contacts to get their takes. So far it's about 50-50, which is about what I anticipated.

-- I know the Chiefs got hammered yesterday, but I really like what I've seen out of Charlie Weis as an OC. I think he lights it up at Florida.

-- I've never looked forward to a BCS title game like I've looked forward to tonight's. Pretty sure I began salivating over it in about October when it looked as if these two teams could be on a collision course.

Texas' win over Southern Cal is the most exciting title game I can remember, and this one could surpass that.

Thus I'm experiencing some serious anxiety about the prospect of power going out today and leaving me in the dark tonight.



LW