The ability to create plays that make the defense wrong and get the ball to an athlete in space with blockers is the most exciting aspect of the Run-Pass -Option. Even a power football team can create these types of plays. Here is Alabama running an RPO against Ole Miss in 2015. The tight end set compresses the defense. The read becomes the alley player “W” on the diagram. By alignment he is the C gap player. The fullback’s job is to bluff a split zone block and release flat while not going beyond the line of scrimmage. This allows the twin receivers to block the safety and the corner. When the Will tries to wrong arm the block of the fullback, this allows the fullback to slip through and have the ball in space for a big gain. The QB simply reads the Will. If he wrong arms he can pull and dump the ball to the fullback. If he sits outside it is a give.
A power team does not have to make a living off of RPO to have a simple attachment like this provide an explosive play. It provides a nice change-up for the team that is constantly blocking the edge and hammering the ball inside.
