In today’s football game between Florida and Florida State, FSU ran at least two plays where one or more of the offensive linemen never got out of the set position, meaning they became spectators, and the players just ran around them. FSU lost badly, so I don’t expect this to catch on. I assume it was some sort of “Jedi Mind Clouding” tactic, but I would like an explanation as to what they were up to, and what they expected to accomplish.
Was there an offside penalty called on the defense they were facing?
I watched an FSU game and the announcers made a point to congratulate the line for their discipline. Apparently their SOP is when the center thinks they caught a rusher offside, he snaps the ball, the entire line stays still, and the rest of the team runs the play. It’s a free play at that point (presumably).
Sounds like a good way for the quarterback to take a big hit by up to four defensive linemen in two seconds. Not much of a “free” play.
West Virginia used to do this occasionally when Rich Rodriguez was still coaching there. They would line up and the O-linemen would just sit there and let the D-line knock them over. An unmoving O-line makes it difficult for safeties and linebackers to get a good read on what direction the play is going in and what the offensive play call actually is. In the '07 Gator Bowl, WVU scored on a 58-yd TD pass to a TE who was able to take advantage of a surprised Georgia defense.
As dumb as the play call looks, the success of defensive players relies a great deal on reading the movements of the O-line.