Jimbo Fisher is a great offensive coach. We knew this long before he led Florida State to the national championship, but what many fans may not know is that he's great at teaching the game as well. Fisher regularly contributes to the Nike Coach of the Year clinics and is more than happy to "talk ball" when reporters know how to ask the right questions.
Fisher offered an unsolicited lesson on modern college offenses to reporters this week, explaining the conflict created by the run-pass option (RPOs) and quarterback runs. The college rules allow a lineman to be three yards upfield at the time of a pass, so a lineman has at least a few yards to fake a run block (freezing linebackers and safeties) while the quarterback waits for his receiver to get behind the defense. "It's why you're seeing scoring so high right now across the country," Fisher says.
"What they're doing on offense right now is illegal. Should never be part of football, and I'm an offensive guy," Fisher said. "When you can have a lineman go three yards down the field and it's a pass, there's something wrong with that."
Lineman can't get that far upfield in the NFL, so it's obvious why RPOs aren't as popular at the next level. Fisher points out that everyone thought the running quarterback would be the next craze, only to see the effects of extra hits take a toll on high-priced investments for franchises.
The entire presentation was great, then Fisher inadvertently made headlines for pointing out that those kind of option plays with lineman upfield "cost Alabama a national championship."
"When we played Auburn for the national championship, they had a lineman seven yards down the field on the pass they threw that tied it up before the "Kick Six." They would have never been there, should have been illegal," Fisher said. "Last year when they played Ole Miss on TV? Had lineman six yards down the field."
