The Greatest Comeback in College Football history - a la Blue Ocean

The Greatest Comeback in College Football history - a la Blue Ocean

There are great parallels between the world of sports and business, be it in strategy, leadership, or personal motivation. What follows is a telling example of Blue Ocean Strategy in action on the football field, with Texas Tech’s recent, incredible 31-point comeback win over Minnesota.

We discussed Texas Tech head coach Leach’s pursuit of Blue Ocean Strategy in a story from March of last year. Just what exactly is he doing to defying conventional wisdom? Coach Leach Leach recruits an average group of players and coaches them to victory using untraditional techniques, rather than focusing on recruiting top talent.

For example on offense, Leach's team passes the ball to many different receivers, almost on every play. This technique throws off the opposing team's defensive strategy by confusing them, as well as forcing them to work more of the field, thus tiring the opponent's defense more quickly. Suddenly, intimidating, 300-pound gorilla-like defensive players become irrelevant.

As Tom Peters points out on his blog, Coach Leach’s Blue Ocean Strategy has paid off, as evidenced by Texas Tech’s recent, history-making 31-point comeback win over Minnesota, the largest comeback in Division I-A bowl history (see full article). By working outside the confines of traditional game strategies and assumptions, Coach Leach joins the ranks of Blue Ocean Strategy practitioners who have successfully redefined the space they compete in. Do you know of other sporting personalities who are actively defying conventional wisdom and creating Blue Oceans along the way? Share your story with us!