2009 tOSU Offensive Line Discussion (official thread)

[leroyjenkins]

Interesting article

BuckeyeXtra - The Columbus Dispatch : Rob Oller commentary: Ohio State seems to undervalue talented linemen

[leroyjenkins]

http://www.bucknuts.com/blog/post-detail.php?p=5744 2-4-09

Bollman On The Future Of OSU's O-Line

Ohio State offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Jim Bollman was very happy to add four talented offensive linemen to the roster on Wednesday. With Marcus Hall, Corey Linsley, Sam Longo and Jack Mewhort, the Buckeyes landed one of their best offensive line crops in the Jim Tressel era.

But just how quickly will any of them be able to crack OSU's starting lineup, or the two deep? Well, we had a chance to check in with Bollman about that and much more during the signing day press conference.
Obviously he's not going to single anyone out this early, but he indicated that he thinks Hall and Mewhort could possibly play right away. Mewhort is listed as the No. 2 center prospect in the country by ESPN.com, but played guard as a senior (he played center as a sophomore and junior though). Bollman is not sure where he will end up at OSU, but it likely won't be center since Michael Brewster will be manning the position for the next 2-3 years. Bollman thinks Mewhort could play any of the five spots on the offensive line, but might start out at guard or tackle.

Continued.....

[GrizzlyBuck]

Originally Posted by leroyjenkins

Interesting article

BuckeyeXtra - The Columbus Dispatch : Rob Oller commentary: Ohio State seems to undervalue talented linemen

Maybe Oller did a mini Rip Van Winkle and fell asleep for a few years and missed Brewster, Adams and Shugarts last year being very highly regarded as well as Mewort and Hall this year. Typical Dispatch writing, if you can't say something negative, don't say anything at all, and we'll just print one of the other reporters negative stuff I know they aren't really that bad, but sometimes you wonder where in the [censored] they're coming from.

[Redhawk]

Ohio State football: Questions on the offensive line - Ohio State Buckeyes Football & Basketball Blog (OSU) - cleveland.com

2009 OHIO STATE OFFENSIVE LINE

Who's gone: Three starters, in three-year left tackle Alex Boone; guard Steve Rehring; and guard Ben Person.
Candidates
Tackle: Mike Adams (So.), J.B. Shugarts (So.), Bryant Browning (Jr.), Marcus Hall (Fr.), Andy Miller (Jr.), Josh Kerr (Jr.)
Guard/Center: Mike Brewster (So.), Justin Boren (Jr.), Jim Cordle (Sr.), Jack Mewhort (Fr.), Andrew Moses (Sr.), Evan Blankenship (So.), Connor Smith (Jr.), Corey Linsley (Fr.), Sam Longo (Fr.)

Projected starters: Browning, Cordle and Brewster are returning starters, and Browning started all 13 games a year ago at right tackle. But the assumption is that one of them won't be starting in 2009. Sophomores Adams and Shugarts are considered by most to be the leading candidates at left tackle and right tackle, though both dealt with injuries as true freshmen. Brewster should hold down the center spot, as he did for the last nine games a year ago, and Boren, the Michigan transfer, should earn one of the guard jobs. That leaves Cordle and Browning fighting for the last guard spot, though it's possible a talent like Hall could have a role somewhere before it's all over.

Questions: Are Adams and Shugarts both healthy enough and prepared to be starting Big Ten tackles, considering a lot of assumptions have been made based on their talent? Will Browning move inside, as expected, even though the coaches said he looked more comfortable at tackle last year after they gave him a quick look at guard? How many of the true freshmen will work into the two-deep immediately, with Hall and Mewhort the most likely candidates? Is Brewster going to make the leap from freshman starter to sophomore star? A starter at guard and center at Michigan, just how good will Boren be after his season as a transfer? Though three starters are lost, with athleticism added, could the line be a real strength instead of maddeningly inconsistent? After making a change in scheme when Terrelle Pryor took over at quarterback last year, how much will working with Pryor for the entire spring and preseason allow the line to get more comfortable with what's asked?

[calibuck]

I don't know about the rest of you, but I thought coming in, the 2008 (the year we just finished) O-line was hyped to be pretty darn powerful. With the amount of size, weight, and # of years under their belts, they were projected to 'get' it. However, looking in the rearview mirror on the season, it appears that they were, 'inconsistent', 'soft', and allowed way too many sacks, forces, tackles-in-the-backfields, etc. Hard to say, when the feature back went for over a grand, and the back up about half that.......

Soooo, the conclusion is not the amount of stars that they bring in, but how they perform on the field. Should our O-line be rated highly? I would say so, based on what I've seen. If a true frosh plays, but gets beaten by the DE consistently, should they get pulled for someone less talented, but more savvy? That's why the coaches get paid so much. I was surprised when Rehring and Boone were split up, but that was an experience thing on the right side (I guess?), and Person went down.

I continue to echo that the O-line (and D-line) dictates what we can and cannot do on Offense (and defense). OSU gets good-to-great HSers to come here, or some of the middle-of-the-road guys that the staff feels like they can 'coach up' into superstar behemoths (or working man types who bring their lunch pail to work and just get the job done). Nonetheless, on paper <= sarcasm font, it looks like the Buckeyes have the makings of a very, very good O-line. I hope these guys reveal a nasty attitude, and are successful in starting each and every play on a positive note. Not even a Pryor can create if he is running for his life, and/or the D is neck and neck with the snap in getting to him. Sorry for the rant.

[Buckskin86]

Part II and III of the PD's look at the oline...

Ohio State football: Coach talks offensive line
by Doug Lesmerises
Tuesday February 10, 2009


AP
Justin Boren, (56), should start somewhere on the offensive line for Ohio State. Mike Brewster (50), Jim Cordle (64) and Connor Smith (73) also return as options.

After the signing day news conference on Wednesday, Jim Bollman spoke about his options on the offensive line. To hear him talk, he's ready to throw all the guys in a kettle and mix it up. Michigan transfer Justin Boren has played guard and center, as has senior Jim Cordle. Starting center Mike Brewster wasn't a center until he got college. Bryant Browning has played guard and tackle. Bollman, not surprisingly, won't commit to anything.

But there are options out there.

Where do you feel this line is? It seems to have a lot of options but not a lot of experience.

There are some guys who have gained some experience. Michael Brewster gained a lot of experience this year, needless to say. Bryant Browning got a lot of experience this year. Justin Boren has a lot of experience. Jim Cordle has a lot of experience. Michael Adams and J.B. got their feet wet. It was unfortunate those guys had some of the in-season injuries they did, but still they got some valuable experience, getting in the mix of things and learning the offense and things like that.

Andrew Miller, Connor Smith, Andrew Moses, Josh Kerr are all guys who are very experienced, who know the system, who will have some opportunities as spring approaches. Then you add Evan Blankenship, who is younger guy who has been here two years, now this spring is a big factor for him. Then you add the four guys we just signed.

So there's a little more experience then you think when you sit and add all the pages together. And there's multiple facets of where guys could end up going. So winter conditioning and those guys getting stronger and spring ball will be a lot of fun. It'll be real interesting. I'm looking forward to it.

Ohio State football: Coach talks offensive line - Ohio State Buckeyes Football & Basketball Blog (OSU) - cleveland.com

Ohio State football: Offensive line projections
by Doug Lesmerises
Tuesday February 10, 2009


D.L.
J.B. Shugarts, Mike Brewster and Mike Adams should all be starting for the Buckeyes on the offensive line as sophomores.

Speaking before the Fiesta Bowl, Ohio State offensive Jim Bollman coordinator was asked about some of the struggles of the offensive line during the 2008 season and pretty quickly started talking about two true freshmen.

"One of the things that probably was frustrating of the things that happened was Michael Adams getting injured and J.B. Shugarts getting injured," Bollman said. "Those guys would have both gotten a lot more action through the year than they ended up getting. Bowl practice were great for those guys."

A guess at the two-deep

Left tackle: Mike Adams, Andy Miller

Left guard: Justin Boren, Connor Smith

Center: Mike Brewster, Andrew Moses/Jack Mewhort

Right guard: Jim Cordle, Bryant Browning

Right tackle: J.B. Shugarts, Marcus Hall

Ohio State football: Offensive line projections - Ohio State Buckeyes Football & Basketball Blog (OSU) - cleveland.com

[DaddyBigBucks]

There has been a good deal of discussion in other threads about whether the 09 OL will be better or worse than they were in 08. Will better athletes ====== better performance, or will less experience spell trouble?

As always, mark me down as an optimist. One of the things that I posted frequently during mid-season was how much I over-valued experience going into last season. As some have observed elsewhere, the lack of experience did not prevent USC's OL from being very good last year. Considering the star rating of the prospective starters, I contend we can expect as much.

Further, consider the importance of an OL's ability to work together; then consider the comaraderie these guys have already developed. Most of this line has been called the Brew Crew since before they even signed their LOIs. How well the other guys mesh with the Brew Crew will go a long way in determining how the 09 offense does.

As young as they are, this is the most talented OL of the Tressel era by a large margin. Despite their lack of experience, I think they have a chance to be the best of the Tressel era.


...until 2010 anyway.

[BB73]

Dave Biddle looks at the O-Line heading into spring.

Bucknuts

[Best Buckeye]

It'll be great to see the Brew Crew as one unit.

[southcampus]

I think Shugarts will get more PT against USC than Browning will.

[Buckeneye]

I'd almost prefer to have Boren at RT than Browning
(as crazy as that may sound)

Not a knock on Browning, but he got smoked last year - a lot.

[Sportsbuck28]

At left tackle, Mike Adams is obvious choice to take over as the starter, but he has yet to prove himself. This spring will be important for Adams who can secure his status as a starter. He barely played as a true freshman last year and there are extremely high hopes for him.

I'm guessing his injury may have had something to do with that.

[NFBuck]

Originally Posted by Buckeneye

Not a knock on Browning, but he got smoked last year - a lot.

See, Browning gets something of a bum rap. He wasn't nearly as bad as many people make him out to be. He had some bad games, as did everybody on the line, but there were a number of games, IIRC, that he graded out much higher than you'd expect.

The whole line was a fiasco last season due to injuries and people shuffling positions. Not to mention adapting to a true frosh center (though Brew improved tremendously as the season went on). I'm really excited about the versatility Mewhort brings and Hall should be in the mix immediately. Provided Browning wins a starting spot, having Mewhort, Hall, Moses, Miller and Shugarts rotating in is just ridiculous depth. If Conner Smith can finally put it together, I think the depth is unmatched acrost the country. If people can stay healthy and a true, consistent rotation is found, it should be night and day this year from last. This is the most talent I've seen on a Buckeye line that I can remember. Just hope health allows the production to match it. This might be the unit I'm most excited about heading into '09.

[RB07OSU]

Count me as an optimist heading into the season here as well. Sure we had experience in the last group but I just don't really think the talent was there. Boone was a talent but the effort was in question sometimes, Rehring and Person were getting blown up (even against Ohio U), and Browning was pretty inconsistent. Cordle was one of the few consistent players imo. Brewster played really well I thought, especially for a freshman. Shugarts would have likely taken over the right tackle if he hadn't got injured and I've always thought he was the most college ready coming out of HS. His technique was as good as you could hope for coming out of HS and he is a monster...I expect big things from him this year. Adams of course is just an athletic specimen and if he lives up to half of his potential, he will be spectacular. Boren seems to be a pretty safe bet considering he had proven himself as a freshman on scUM's OL.

I really am excited about this group and I think the athleticism of the group will translate well to the skill players we have. Not to mention I like the depth and experience that Kerr, Miller, Smith, Blankenship, etc. provide. Even with the depth I think there is room for one freshman to make an impact in the rotation.

[Naplesbuckeye]

I agree that Browning is playing out of position; but when we are short on Tackles you have to step up.

It was interesting because he had a lot of trouble against PSU. I mean he really couldn't get out of his stance a lot to kick out when they were taking him outside.

However, he actually played well against Orakpo in the Texas game and that guy was an AA.

Thankfully we have more athletic bodies that can compete outside....Miller, Shugarts, perhaps Mewort and maybe Hall. Either way it is nice to have some competition at the tackle spots for a change.