While he was the offensive coordinator at UNLV, Brennan Marion shocked college football with his innovative scheme combining triple option and spread concepts. It would affectionately come to be known as the "Go Go" offense, and in 2024 I used it to qualify for the $25,000 Heisman House Challenge. I didn't get to take the giant check home, but I had some of the most fun I've had running any playback ever.
I'm ecstatic to see the Go-Go back in College Football 26, and now is a great time to share a few of my favorite plays from it with you. Marion is adamant you don't need a fast quarterback to run Go Go, but for our purposes, it's way better if you do.
Split Backs - Backs Cross
Marion uses two back formations to create different angles that allow you to take shots downfield. With this play, you'll have two running backs on crossers that have to be accounted for. Your opponent's user can't be everywhere. Like all the pass plays in Go Go, if you have set this up with a powerful running game your opponent won't know where to go.
Gun Go Go Offset Over Wk - FK Toss Verticals
CFB 26 does a really good job of putting schemes together for you. This formation also contains an HB Zone Toss. Once your opponent has seen that a couple of times, this fake will have them biting on the toss while you hurl it downfield to a wide open receiver. Mix this in with option runs, rpos, and play action and opposing defenses won't know whether they're coming or going.
Gun Go Go Offset Over - G Load Option
This run has two running backs, two receivers, a tight end, and a pulling guard all blocking while the QB runs. Most of the time, you'll get loose with the QB, but if anybody's close enough to tackle him, you can pitch it to the running back. It's a great redzone play, but it cooks anywhere on the field.
Pistol Strong - Triple Option
This run reached the apex of its power a few years ago in the Baltimore Ravens playbook. It's not quite as overpowered as it was back then, but the Ravens didn't have a shell like the Go Go offense to run it out of. Handing it off to the fullback is a great short yardage play that seldom gets blown up. If the defender crashes the running back, you can keep it with the quarterback. If they attack the signal caller, you can pitch to the back trailing you.
You'll need to lab this one a little bit, because there are so many moving parts, it's easy to mess up. But once you get this going, your opponent must account for it. When they overcompensate to stop the run, that's when Go Go's spread plays pass right over their heads.