Ever wonder who ran the first quarterback sneak? Or who, today, runs it best? Or, if it’s so dang important, why nobody practices the play? I did, as did my college football editors at The Mag. So, for the past couple of months, I’ve been researching the answers to those questions. I interviewed players–past and current–coaches and college football historians to write THIS PIECE for our college football preview issue, which is on newsstands this week. It was a lot of fun and hopefully will make you look at fourth-and-short in a whole new light this season. Enjoy!

At the TV shoot for the piece, which ran on ESPNU Monday night, Aug. 8, I had some fun with USC QB Matt Barkley and center Khaled Holmes. Barkley asked me if I wanted to run a sneak. Of course, I said, and then grabbed for the football. “No way. Line up on defense,” he said. Then I tried my best.