Wisconsin football film room: Breaking down Jeff Grimes offensive scheme
The Wisconsin Badgers hired Jeff Grimes as their new offensive coordinator. Learn how his offense combines toughness and creativity.
When Jeff Grimes was announced as the University of Wisconsin football program's next offensive coordinator, some fans were disappointed that Luke Fickell didn't make another flashy hire—but the conversation quickly shifted to the identity he’s bringing to Madison.
Grimes is the creator of the “RVO” — reliable, violent, offense — which is a system that thrives on physicality, unpredictability, and, above all else, balance. While the RVO might sound gimmicky, the offensive scheme that Grimes runs is grounded in the fundamentals of sound football.
"I think identity is a huge thing," Grimes said of his offense. "I'd like to say that if people watched us, they would see a tough, physical brand of football that is balanced in a number of different ways."
At Kansas, Grimes helped guide the Jayhawks' offense to finish 6th nationally in EPA per rush, 8th in EPA per play, and 13th in yards per play (6.4). That offense converted 50% of its third downs, the third-best mark in the country, and ranked 21st in EPA per dropback, per Game on Paper.
At its core, Grimes’ offense challenges defenses by blending an outside-zone run game with complementary play-action concepts. It’s designed to force defenders to make snap decisions using pre-snap motion to put them into conflict, exploiting overcommitment and creating opportunities at every level of the field to keep opposing teams off balance.
"If you can run the football, then you can do anything," Grimes explained. "Everything else is going to work. If you can't run the football, you become one-dimensional. That’s where it starts—running the football and establishing an identity that is based on that and a rugged mentality."
Grimes' commitment to the run game isn’t just about grinding it out between the tackles—it’s about forcing defenses to adapt. His playbook blends different run concepts, using shifts, motions, and formations to create mismatches and open rushing lanes. Whether it’s outside-zone staples or misdirection plays that keep defenders guessing, Grimes ensures the ground game remains both physical and dynamic.
That creativity also extends to the use of the wildcat formation, which Grimes utilized for a total of 26 plays last season across 10 games. The wrinkle added another layer of unpredictability to his offense and showed his willingness to keep defenses on their heels with unconventional looks.