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Nick Saban with a relevant note on the 2025 Texas offense

On3 imageby: Ian Boyd06/04/25Ian_A_Boyd
Former Alabama HC Nick Saban
© MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This Nick Saban clip has been floating around in which college football’s GOAT coach explains how defending RPOs (run/pass option) with gap scheme blocking is more difficult than defending RPOs with zone blocking.

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This is of particular relevance to the 2025 Texas offense, which is expected to move toward more gap scheme blocking after majoring in outside zone in the 2024 season. But what is Saban talking about? Hat plays? Moving linebackers?

Allow me to explain.

Saban’s point is that on a zone play, the offensive line takes a lateral step to move their gaps or create leverage on the defense but for second level/off-ball defenders like linebackers, they aren’t being moved too far away from their coverage assignment. So on something like outside zone, there isn’t as much lateral stress for the linebackers between a coverage assignment and the gap they need to fit against the run:

They can potentially wait for the quarterback to make a choice before committing to drop back into coverage or race up to the line to defend their gap. The middle linebackers’ primary gap in front of him isn’t so terribly far away from his coverage assignment helping inside against the slant route.

However, a gap or lead scheme that is pulling linemen and/or otherwise creating new gaps to a different part of the line of scrimmage triggers a more immediate response from linebackers and forces them to commit to defending the run more quickly, thus clearing up the picture for the pass.

Now the middle linebacker needs to follow those pulling linemen over to the other side of the formation, which prevents him from hanging back to defend the slant route.

This style of using lead blocks and pulling linemen to create more extreme and immediate stress on RPOs and play-action is a style I’ve typically called “smashmouth spread.” The run game is still physical and smashmouth in style but with the passing game more deeply connected as a constraint and force multiplier.

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A move to more “smashmouth spread” concepts is one more reason the 2025 Texas offense could be the most explosive to date in Austin for Steve Sarkisian.

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