TL;DR: Is Bowling Green's Playbook Worth Running?
Yeah — it's basically a custom playbook without the hassle. You're getting elite shotgun formations, money RPOs, and plays that work EVERY SINGLE YEAR. Skip the under center stuff. Skip pistol. Just hammer the good formations and you'll win more games than 90% of players.
Here's what matters: Bunch Strong Offset is your money formation. RPO Alert Bubble from Bunch TE destroys blitzes. Inside Cross beats man coverage every time. If you run this playbook right, you're never losing because of scheme — only execution.
What Makes Bowling Green Different from Other Playbooks?
Most playbooks force you into bad formations. Not this one. Bowling Green gives you nearly custom-level flexibility with plays that actually work.
The key difference — it's ALL shotgun focused. No wasted plays in formations you'll never use. Everything builds on itself. You can audible between your best plays without tipping your hand.
Compare it to Oregon State and it's basically the same tier. You literally could not build a better custom playbook if you tried.
Which Formations Should You Actually Use?
The Big Four:
- Bunch Strong Offset (your bread and butter)
- Bunch Tight End (RPO heaven)
- Trips Tight End (quick hitters)
- Inside Cross (man beater)
Everything else is gravy. Master these four first. Then expand to Bunch Offset and the specialty stuff.
How to Set Up Bunch Strong Offset Plays
This is your MONEY FORMATION. Here's the setup:
RPO Alert Screen — Just call it. The bubble is there. Take it when they give you numbers.
Corner Strike Setup:
- Motion the halfback to check coverage
- Put him on the Speed In route (nobody expects this)
- Hit him breaking across the middle
Play Flood Adjustment: Stem down the corner route. Creates better spacing. Opens up the drag underneath.
Dagger Concept:
- Hot route the tight end to a post
- Streak the halfback
- Read high-low: halfback up the seam first, then tight end on the post
This setup ALWAYS does damage. Write it down.
When to Use RPO Alert Bubble from Bunch TE
Simple — when they blitz, you win. When they play soft, you win. It's one of the best RPO plays in the entire game.
The beauty? You can audible to this from other formations. Your opponent sees you come out in trips. You check to Bunch TE. They can't adjust fast enough. Free yards.
Against heavy blitz packages, this is automatic. They bring 6+? Throw the bubble. They'll stop eventually, then you hit them with the run.
What's the Best Man Coverage Beater?
Inside Cross. Not even close.
You get double drags crossing underneath. Deep in route. Deep post. It's man coverage kryptonite.
Against man blitz:
- Block the halfback (critical)
- Read the drags first
- If they jump the drags, hit the deep in
Mix it up: Wheel the halfback sometimes. Keeps them honest. But the base play destroys man coverage as-is.
Which Plays Actually Work from Trips Tight End?
Curl Flat is THE PLAY. Here's why:
- Drag the tight end
- He breaks open STUPID FAST in the left short seam
- Massive RAC potential every time
If the tight end isn't there, check the Texas route to the halfback on the backside. One of these two is open 90% of the time.
This exact play works in both Madden and College Football every single year. It's not getting patched. Learn it once, use it forever.
What About the Other Formations?
Bunch Offset — Not what it used to be, but Vertical Under still hits. Mesh Spot works. The zone runs are decent.
Bunch Spread — Cool for mixing it up. Not essential.
Empty — It's there if you need it. Triple Slant is hilarious when it works.
Trips Wild Over — RPO Rebubble is nice. Similar to the Bunch TE concept.
Don't overthink these. Master the core four formations first.
Common Mistakes Running This Playbook
Biggest mistake — trying to use everything. You don't need 50 plays. You need 10-12 that you can execute perfectly.
Second mistake — calling plays from weak formations. Every snap from under center is a wasted down. Every pistol formation is pointless. Stay in shotgun.
Third mistake — not using RPOs enough. This playbook is BUILT for RPOs. If you're not throwing 3-4 bubbles a game, you're leaving points on the field.
Why This Playbook Beats Most Others
Simple — good playbooks give you options. Bad playbooks force you into bad plays.
With Bowling Green, every formation has multiple answers. Getting blitzed? RPO bubble. Playing soft zone? Dagger concept. Man coverage? Inside Cross.
You're never stuck. You always have an answer. That's what wins games — having the right play for the right situation.
Most players lose because they pick terrible playbooks. They're fighting uphill before the game even starts. Run Bowling Green and that's never your problem.
The Bottom Line
If you run this playbook correctly, you will NEVER lose because of scheme. Period.
Master these concepts:
- Bunch Strong Offset for everything
- RPO Alert Bubble vs pressure
- Inside Cross vs man
- Curl Flat for easy completions
That's it. Four formations, a handful of concepts, and you're better than most players online.
Stop looking for the perfect playbook. You already found it.
This is one free tip on the Bowling Green offensive scheme. Members get the full College Football playbook guide with more formations and concepts, updated weekly. → civil.gg/become-a-member