Even if they won't admit it, most of the folks who strongly care about a football team running a traditional run-heavy, power-I type of offense are just emotionally projecting onto the team. They think if other teams describe their favorite team's offense as strong and tough, these descriptions also translate to them, a person sitting in the stands.

The folks who derisively refer to spread offenses as finesse (i.e. it's not big tough football, for me, the big tough man), imagine whatever they would hate the most; ballet, synchronized swimming, stuff like that. If you ask me, Virginia Tech can have the most ballet-like offense ever, as long as it gets 600 yards and scores over 40 points per game.