Football Fundamentals - RPO

Submitted by Space Coyote on

I was hesitant to start a series on RPOs because it seemed like everyone was doing it after the Eagles Super Bowl, or, if they were in a different part of the country watching college football, already had. I have dozens of "articles" I have outlined that I'd like to post, but just don't have the time to put together (over the summer I fully scouted Michigan, Wisconsin, and PSU which means I also got a number of games of other B1G teams; alas, I only got part way through my Wisconsin list).

 

That said, I decided to pull the trigger because I've seen a lot of confusion about RPOs. From "but you need a mobile QB" to "it's overhauling the offense back to Rich Rod" and all sorts of other things. So I'm pulling together a foundation. As of now, I have two posts up, it will ultimately culminate in a look at how Michigan can relatively easily incorporate RPOs into their existing structure (it isn't an overhaul, don't over think it) and even utilize their heavy personnel (12, 21, 22 personnel) to get there at times.

Football Fundamentals: The Offensive "Read" Concepts

Football Fundamentals: RPO Pass Concepts Behind the LOS

Look for another post this afternoon on quick pass concepts, and probably tomorrow or next week on the run concepts that get paired with them, before finally getting to the "Michigan" slanted post.

By the way, Michigan is the last team in the East to look to RPOs as at least a part of the offense. And even that's not true, Borges utilized them lightly in early 2013 but scrapped them after near disasters vs PSU; brought back what were probably pre-snap bubbles toward the end of the year. Harbaugh has used them quite rarely, but there are a few instances where they already existed in the offense. There is just more focus now because of the offense Patterson comes from and probably because of what the Eagles did. So it seems an appropriate time to start understanding them.

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USAFA007

August 16th, 2018 at 9:33 AM ^

Thanks for posting. I used to be a more frequent visitor of your site but the content had become fairly infrequent and I honestly forgot. This is a good excuse to start coming back!

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Space Coyote

August 16th, 2018 at 9:35 AM ^

I get it. It's really just a side thing that is a "work on when you feel like it" type thing. So the content does come and go in spurts. Itching for more football has made me want to create a bit more content. We'll see where it goes from here, it ebbs and flows with the business of life as well.

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PopeLando

August 16th, 2018 at 9:36 AM ^

Appreciate it.

My understanding of Harbaugh is that he very successfully ditched some concepts for Kaep: RPOs and sight reads (could a football-savvy 49ers fan confirm?)

So my guess is that when faced with a QB who isn't advanced (in college, that's almost everyone who isn't Luck), those are the first things he ditches.

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Space Coyote

August 16th, 2018 at 9:46 AM ^

My understanding is more that he simplified the pass concepts, not so much the run concepts. I'm not aware if they were actually running any RPOs or not or the complexity of them, but I don't think that would be a thing he would eliminate.

For the most part, RPOs are like read option, which Kaep was good at. You read a key defender, he moves one way you go the opposite. The run game mostly stayed consistent with schemes, but they implemented more of a read system to fit his running skills. 

QBs can handle more advanced pass schemes, it's not just Luck (and Luck gets propped up because of what he became, watch him his RS FR year to see where he actually started; he wasn't a 5-star can't miss prospect either). Rudock did it; Speight was successful until they expanded it a little more in a different direction (he missed throws, and could be confused by some coverages, but for the most part was smart with where the ball needed to go). But typically to put something in, you have to take some things out. My guess for what Harbaugh focuses on taking out isn't necessarily specific schemes, but more the complexity of each scheme (i.e. simplify the adjustments within a scheme so as not to overwhelm people).

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Needs

August 16th, 2018 at 9:42 AM ^

Quick question: Baumgardner was pretty adamant on his most recent podcast that running RPOs requires mastery of zone blocking (he put it something like "if you can't block zone, you can't run RPOs.") Is this true? Can you only run RPOs out of zone concepts, or are there gap/power versions? 

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Space Coyote

August 16th, 2018 at 9:48 AM ^

It's not true.

That said, most RPOs do utilize zone blocking because it is a little easier (though at the college level, with allowing you to get 3 yards down field, gap is easier than in the NFL). But a lot of teams use Power, Pin and Pull, Buck Sweep, etc.

However, with all that said, Michigan runs inside zone as well, so that's not a problem for Michigan. They just need to get better at blocking it, they don't need to learn any new schemes.

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Saludo a los v…

August 16th, 2018 at 10:02 AM ^

Nice writeups SC. I had two thoughts after reading your articles.

1. I want Harbaugh to steal that play from PSU. I have been banging the drum for pistol sets that incorporate our big personnel and that kind of play is a nice companion to power running.

2. Wouldn't it make sense for Michigan to run more tunnel screens this season to slow down opposing defenses that like to play aggressive (think Wisconsin) and give our oline more time to pass protect?

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Space Coyote

August 16th, 2018 at 10:08 AM ^

1. I wouldn't be surprised at all if more pistol was part of the plan. He did it a lot with Kaep, and it allows him to maintain a little better some of the downhill schemes he likes.

2. Yes, tunnel is great against fast flow teams because that 2nd level often gets stuck in the wash near the LOS. That was why it was consistently one of Borges's most successful plays (it was the one that seemed to actually consistently work, whereas every other play consistently didn't). Harbaugh has run it before, it does take some time to implement, but as an RPO it's a little easier to implement because you're relying on a TE or slot to kick out the leverage, rather than an OT.

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Section42

August 16th, 2018 at 10:04 AM ^

Thanks for putting this together SC, good stuff.

Hail To The Victors also has an in-depth description of what the RPO is, how it differs from Play Action, and how Michigan can best use it this year. Worth a look!

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JFW

August 16th, 2018 at 10:05 AM ^

Thanks, Space. 

Stuff like this helps because I don't understand football as nearly as well as I'd like to think I understand football. :-)

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Space Coyote

August 16th, 2018 at 12:12 PM ^

Yup I detail a few of them throughout the articles. They were mostly fairly basic (bubble to add triple option element; pop pass) but they were there.

My larger point was that the “pro style” offenses also incorporated them. There is a misconception that you have to be an”Rich Rod spread” to run them

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Dano1984

August 16th, 2018 at 12:51 PM ^

Very nice article. Also, lot of misconceptions about football period. Being in the gun doesn't necessarily mean it's a spread offense. If anything Urban's offense is as power as it gets. My Rich Rod comment wasn't meant to demean your post but I do chuckle at folks who are fired up about the RPO aspects in 2018.

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