PSA: RPOs are not Read Options

Just to be clear, if the QB never pulls it a runs just a couple times at game to keep the defense honest, it’s just wasted movement in the backfield with the disadvantage to the RB.

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The OL is run blocking. so usually these are quick throws because you run the risk of the OL getting too far downfield.

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In college, they have 3 yards so they are not always quick hitters. But they won't be long passes.

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So you read what he posted and did not understand that LSU runs the RPO but not the read option. Or do you not understand the QB is not a runner in the RPO?

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right. we are clearly not running zone reads/read option becase nuss never pulls IF he were reading the backside DE. if we are they are FAKE zone reads.

I think many here had lost track of what the "classical" RPO is. i've posted the link many times.

LINK

i think many posters are remebering some of the advanced stuff denbrock did with JD5.

denbrock ran normal zone reads/read options.

however he ran some 3 option horizontal RPO (call it his triple option if we wish) and what i think is making it confusing for many posters is how the reads went.

so instead of a basic vertical RPO, read the box/key defender, hand off or throw.

denbrock's horizontal 3 option RPO went something like a zone read for starters. JD5 would read the DE, ih he crashes then he pulls and makes the next read as he sprints to the the edge. i believe the last option was then run to the spot vacated by the crashing DE(like in the zone read) or he threw to mason taylor on a horizontal route. if mason was covered he kept it and ran.

it was deadly and very effective but that was basically a RUN-PASS-RUN option. i think everyone seeing that last year has confused the heck out of some posters

all you said is true, and the problem with our offense is that Nuss never reads anything. If he did, he would see there is no hole for the RB and he would keep it. You can also add a pitch out to a slot receiver on the opposite side coming around that the qb could option with a read of the DE. LSU does none of this. It is a straight handoff every single time, hole or no hole....and our RB's are not taught to read the hole or no hole and bounce outside. this is a real flaw in our running game. Most great Rbs that break long runs have this ability. Our guys are quite obviously taught to run into a hole and not slow down and read for the opening or bounce. We have so many flaws in our offensive approach it is sickening to watch. Without a gunslinger like Nuss and great receivers, which we don sometimes, LSU has no offense at all......

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Just to be clear, if the QB never pulls it a runs just a couple times at game to keep the defense honest, it’s just wasted movement in the backfield with the disadvantage to the RB.

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99.9% of pulls on RPOs will result PASSES, not RUNS. We don’t run very many Zone Reads. Most of the meshes you see are for RPOs.

Can this be stickied, please. It’s insane how little this fanbase actually knows about football.

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Most of the meshes you see are for RPOs.

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correct. i think people are just freaking out because it looks like a zone read and then they see the DE crash down and posters are like wtf? why didn't nuss pull out and run it?

real simple. because that was not his read on that play. that play being a vertical RPO and not being a zone read. like we said. if we ran actual zone reads those damn runs would be there for nuss. sadly we are not exploiting it.

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denbrock's horizontal 3 option RPO went something like a zone read for starters. JD5 would read the DE, ih he crashes then he pulls and makes the next read as he sprints to the the edge. i believe the last option was then run to the spot vacated by the crashing DE(like in the zone read) or he threw to mason taylor on a horizontal route. if mason was covered he kept it and ran.

it was deadly and very effective but that was basically a RUN-PASS-RUN option. i think everyone seeing that last year has confused the heck out of some posters

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It really was. Daniels was very smart and would make the right decision. Nuss scares Me sometimes with his decision making.

i’d rather be this guy than the “we can’t run RPOs if Nuss never keeps it and runs” guy

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No, the QB doesn’t need to pull it and run to keep the defense honest.

If he pulls it and passes that also keeps the defense honest

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I have noticed that on many of our inside zone calls, Nussmeier’s post-handoff fake is a quick jog to the outside of the OT, which is a “zone read look” even if it’s not actually a called zone read (which clearly it isn’t, with the DE crashing every time).*

I bring this up because I agree that the threat of a pull on the RPO should help keep the defense honest. So it makes me question why he isn’t faking pass post-handoff every time rather than jogging forward, which doesn’t fool anybody.

I would also argue that, if you aren’t punishing the linebackers on the pass option, the RPO isn’t as effective as zone read at opening up the run game. It’s why the quick slant RPO’s are so effective - if the LB sells out for the run, you wind up with big YAC opportunities. But it seems like most of our RPOs are targeted more at the safeties than the LBs. That’s fine if you’re having success running the ball, but it doesn’t seem to me that our RBs are getting to that level very often anyway.

I know we ran at least one quick slant to Trey’Dez yesterday, not sure whether it was an RPO. Maybe with him playing at WR now we see more of that.

I’m not suggesting that we need to be running a bunch of zone read. Nussmeier isn’t a zone read QB. It is what it is. But I do think there are some little things we could do within his skill set to help open the run game up a bit.

*ETA: I’m giving Nussmeier the benefit of the doubt saying there’s no way those plays have been called zone reads.

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I completely agree with you and the very reason our running game should not be based on an RPO or RO system.

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It’s actually worked well enough when Durham has been getting most of the carries at full speed. He had 150+ yards against another elite defensive front on the road vs USCe. Unfortunately, he just isn’t 100% right now and we won’t really have a good shot to run consistently against any good front like A&M or Ole Miss until he can get back there. Hopefully the bye week really helps him.