Georgia Tech's option offense only adds to challenge this week for Alabama A&M

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - It's tough enough that Alabama A&M is "playing up," a Football Championship Series team going up against a Football Bowl Series team like Georgia Tech.

What complicates the issue even more this Saturday as the Bulldogs (4-7) travel to Atlanta for the 12:30 CST kickoff against the Yellow Jackets (6-4) is the diabolical anachronism that is Tech's option offense.

Tech coach Paul Johnson has the Yellow Jackets running a triple-option that, except for a few twists, is not unlike the offense that was rampant in college football in the 1970s. It's called a "flexbone" in Johnson-speak, but it's based on the same principles as the old wishbone. And Tech runs it to perfection.

"A different brand of football," A&M coach Anthony Jones called it.

"It's not just the option," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said before his Tigers beat Tech on Nov. 14. "People make a big deal, there's a lot of people that can run the triple option, it may not be very good. But the deal with Georgia Tech is that they're really good at what they do. They're very well coached."

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