My Offensive Line mis-analysis

[Ronznotes]

Offensive Line-

Bad Facts-

We have a total of 19 starts spread across 5 positions. By comparison we graduated guys with 120 starts. We are almost the lowest in the nation when it comes to starting experience on the O-line. Brandon Stai resigned as grad assistant. The pre-season predictions have Ben Cotton as 4th string all - Big 10. So those paid to be "in the know" think we have 1 lineman in the top 20 in the conference. There are only 5x14 = 70 starting linemen in the conference. We have 4 that are perceived to be in the bottom 50 and one in the top 20.

Let that sink in. Let it sink in deep. One O-lineman perceived to be in the top 20. We are inexperienced nobodies on the O-line.

Silver Lining-

The starts are spread across guys and with the exception of Sterup were projected to start or did start because of talent, not purely injury. We are supposedly more athletic and potentially very deep at every position. Garrison seems to be a good coach and getting guys to play. The starting experience does not consider Lewis and his 12+ starts at Colorado. This could be the start of about 3 years of reloading the pipeline as we have good, highly recruited prospects that are sophomores and juniors.

My take -

This O-line will be quite good by the end of the season. The left side could be All-Conference. I think they will get stymied a time or two by aggressive run-stopping defenses and we will look really dominating when the game plan is perfect. The O-line will look much worse if we have some QB shuffling and therefore have to modify our game plan throughout the year (more option with Tommy, more zone-read with Fyfe or Stanton). This is potentially harmful, as the players have repeatedly said this spring they practiced the plays they were most likely to use over and over. In the past Beck had them practice many plays with about equal repetition. It seems he liked to be able to use the whole play book. A quote I have heard used is this spring "We don't practice until we get it right, we practice until we can't get it wrong". Changing game plans due to QB talent was obvious last year. It hurt us a lot in a few games as it made a sometimes spastic Beck seem even more chaotic.

 

[NebraskaHarry]

...39 days.

[SouthAfricanHusker]

I agree withh most of what you said. I will point out that preseason All Conference awards are pretty useless. It's basically who has the most experience at the position. If you start as a freshman for Indiana. You will probably get the. I'd your junior year because you are a 2 year returning starter. Nevermind that you couldn't hold the jock of half of your counterparts in conference.

[walksalone]

wifi?