Recommended Xs and Os CFB books?

[michiganstephen]

Hi all –

Been reading the site for a while and wanted to ask a question. I’m interested in finding a book that will help me learn more about football. I’d like to me a more informed fan and understand what’s going on during the game other than the basic knowledge that I already have. I’d like this information to be near me in a book for easy reference as well when I watch.

Here’s what I do understand/don’t understand:
– I know what a stunt is on the D-line, but I don’t understand the positioning nomenclature (3-tech, 5-tech, WDE, SDE, BUCK, etc.)
– I know what it means to pull on the O-line and the gaps but I don’t know what a trap is.
– As with the D-line, I don’t understand what the linebacker positions mean (MIKE, WILL, SAM).
– I have *some* understanding of cover schemes (cover 0, cover 1, etc.).

I hope that gives a flavor for my (non-)understanding of the game. Given the above, what do fellow TTBers suggest?
Steve

[canzior]

This is a good place to start. Kind of has the football “basics” if you will. It says 101, but some of this would like be Football 203 lol.

http://mgoblog.com/category/user-tags/ff101

[GoBlue]

I would first recommend..

“Take Your Eye Off the Ball 2.0: How to Watch Football by Knowing Where to Look” by by Pat Kirwan

I think that book is a great read, it’s pretty easy and goes into a lot of what I think you are looking for. If when you are looking you notice that there is a “Take your eye off the ball” Original or first book, don’t worry, it’s the same book, but 2.0 has a few minor tweaks.

Then if you are looking a little deeper, I highly recommend

“The Essential Smart Football” and “The Art of Smart Football” by written by Chris B. Brown. Both books are outstanding and go a little deeper into some of the schematic things that teams do or have done.

I would also recommend “Sports Illustrated Blood, Sweat & Chalk: Inside Football’s Playbook: How the Great Coaches Built Today’s Game” by by Tim Layden, The book has a little more history behind it and goes into when/how some of the plays came to be, but still interesting if you’re into that stuff.

Other than that I would ask what it is you’re looking for. There are tons of books specifically about linebacking, offensive line, specific defenses and same for offenses. Look around, there is a lot of great stuff.

[Author]

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