Three young linemen step into big roles
Touted sophomores get on field together
Thursday, September 24, 2009
By Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
KYLE ROBERTSON | DISPATCH
"We've got to get better, but we're going to work hard at it." ? center Michael Brewster, on Ohio State's offensive line
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Block O, the student version, makes its first appearance of the season Saturday when Ohio State plays host to Illinois. The other Block O, the touted trio of blue-chip offensive linemen the Buckeyes signed in 2008, made its first extended on-field appearance last week against Toledo.
"It's the beginning of something that's going to last for the next couple of years," said the trio's central figure, center Michael Brewster. "We've got to get better, but we're going to work hard at it."
What made it a sophomore quorum were the simultaneous appearances of right tackle J.B. Shugarts, making his first start, and left tackle Mike Adams, finally cleared to play last week after serving a two-game suspension for undisclosed reasons.
However, it wasn't as if the sophomores combined with guards Justin Boren and Bryant Browning to rip through Toledo on every snap. In fact, Shugarts was whistled for three false-start penalties, sullying his day.
Even though Shugarts thought only one of the penalties was justified, he said he treated them as learning moments. That is, after he questioned an official about one.
"I told him I've been coaching 35 years and I've never heard an offensive lineman question an official's call like that," OSU coach Jim Tressel said. "That wasn't good.
"But he was anxious, and he tried to be quick. Obviously we have to eliminate that. Justin had one as well. We can't have those."
Otherwise, Shugarts rebounded.
"He played hard the whole game, no matter what happened with the penalties," Browning said. "He never put his head down, (he) learned what he did wrong and just kept fighting."
