How does Oregon football compete against the top teams in the country (four BCS appearances in the last four years), with recruiting classes that almost never break the top 10, and often are ranked below 20? (In today's 2013 rankings, they're at 42!)
The answer is: great coaching by Chip Kelly and his staff. This video explains some of the basic concepts behind the Oregon spread offense. See also The zone read option game for Kelly's extremely well-written explanation of the Oregon running game. Even a casual investigation reveals that football is by far the most complex sport in terms of coaching and game strategy. Too bad its days are numbered.
One of the big adjustments I had to make in coming to Michigan State was to Big 10 football. The offensive execution reminds me high school play ;-) Does any team squander more athletic talent year after year than Michigan? (As usual: #5 recruiting class this year, but will probably have another mediocre season next year!)