Florida State Tutorial Thursday: A brief dive into RPOs

If you’ve watched football over the past few seasons, you’ve probably heard some commentator talk about RPOs (run-pass options). While some are bringing good information, there’s also been plenty of confusion about the concept itself. Many times it’s confused with play-action passes, read-options, or packaged plays. This confusion and misinformation will only increase for Florida State fans as Mike Norvell’s system is heavily-reliant on RPOs.

So how can we define and recognize RPOs? What are the pros and cons of the play? How will Mike Norvell use them in his offense? It’s helpful to get a good understanding of the concept, as the RPO becomes more integral in Tallahassee and all throughout football. So I thought I’d try something different. Instead of a long write-up, I put my thoughts into video-form. Hope you enjoy:

This style of offense should be fun to watch, but it’s only as good as the decisions being made by the quarterback. In years past, a porous offensive line and inaccurate passes made the play less successful. Only time will tell if Norvell can turn things around and get the RPOs rolling in Tallahassee.