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Buckeye Offensive Line - 2004 (official thread)

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IMO with the right coaching there is no reason that the linemen that we have can't get the job done. We don't have world beaters like Orlando Pace, but they are good enough to get the job done if properly coached. There are 3 factors that go into playing offensive line: feet, strength, and brains. For OSU you would hope that the linemen that they recruit have all 3, and I think most do. I personally made it through my career solely on brains and was able to manage.
I don't watch the line very much especially when I'm at the game like this past week, but here's some things that I noticed. Our linemen never cut block. If you want to successfully run zone blocking schemes you HAVE to cut block to slow down backside pursuit and open up the cutback lanes. If you watch a Broncos game at least 1 lineman cuts someone one every single running play. The cut is also good for the outside guys on screens and quick passes to get the DL's hands down.
I also noticed that it seems like the line isn't working together on the zone double teams. In order to drive the DL off the ball the linemen doing it need to pretend that the are connected at the hip. To me it looks like the D-linemen are able to get between the linemen before they are able to get together on the double team. Athletically there is no reason for this to happen. Good coaching should correct these technique problems.
To tell the truth without watching some film I don't know what is wrong with the pass protection, but the line didn't give Zwick much time on Saturday. I think the linemen are better pass protectors than run blockers, but the pass protections that we use need some work. On the other hand fans need to realize that Wiscy might have the best DL in CFB so that is going to make any line look worse than they are. The line should be good enough to provide the QB with 3 seconds on normal dropback passes. There are probably things the coaches could do to shore everything up.
The biggest problem is scheme and play calling. A coach needs to see what his guys are capable of doing and play to that. Sometimes I see glimpses of what this offense can do when the defense is on their heals and don't know what is coming at them and it is a beautiful thing. Most of the time it looks like the defense knows exactly what is going to happen every play. I would like to see some type of misdirection happening on every play. Send players in motion more often. Run a couple reverses a game, and fake the reverse on every other normal running play. If a safety, and OLB think that you are handing the ball to Ginn on an end around they aren't going to be able to stuff the inside run. I wish JT would watch the film of what teams like Cinci, Marshall, and NU were able to do to us and steal what worked well.
 
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exhawg said:
I don't watch the line very much especially when I'm at the game like this past week, but here's some things that I noticed. Our linemen never cut block. If you want to successfully run zone blocking schemes you HAVE to cut block to slow down backside pursuit and open up the cutback lanes. If you watch a Broncos game at least 1 lineman cuts someone one every single running play. The cut is also good for the outside guys on screens and quick passes to get the DL's hands down.
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I watched a little bit of the michigan-Minn game Saturday and the announcers were talking about how good Minn is at cut-blocking. I think it was Bob Davies talking about how it was one of the most difficult moves a football player has to make and how effective it is for Minn in their running game.

I know nothing about playing O-line and appreciate all of the insight from posters who have experience either through playing or coaching.
 
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I had more cut blocks than the rest of my O-line combined my senior year. It came very easy for me. It actually does seem to be hard for some guys to understand. It's funny to watch guys who can't do it well. The easiest way is to make sure that you dive in front of the guy you are cutting and roll back into him. The book on cutting says that you explode through the knee of the guy you are cutting to take his legs out from under him.
 
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on the recruitin of olineman i always figured you need 5 a year to produce one, throw in a redshirt thats 5 olineman, figuring you should be able to "develop" 1 or 2 in 4-5 years. this gives you 6 or 7 minus your one frosh thats 5 or 6 o lineman. as for technique, we have sunday tech which we execute poorly, this is why we had all our o line go pro last year, they know what to do its jsut harder than the squat and fire or cutting that minn and air force do. our offense has been anemic and i blame bollman (line coach/ o cor) and tressel (he calls the plays) for this. as for what to do 28-4 in the last 32 so i dont know
 
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The O-line recruiting has been very good this year, and last. 2001 and 2003
there was almost no O-line recruiting and it's now really caught up with us.
This should dramaticly improve next year.

Right tackle is a traditional position for a run blocking road grader. We have a 250 pound guy there in Schaffer. We all knew this going in but the coaches have not impressed me by making something from very little.
 
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Splits on the O-Line.....

maybe exhawg, osu21 or VLMarti can chime in here.....


i notice that the buckeye offensive linemen essentially stand shoulder-to-shoulder when they are at the line.....

i see other teams...auburn, usc and louisville tonite where the lineman have a significant amount of space between each other......

which is better....and why....thanks...
 
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Depends on what you want to do with the offense.

Wider splits allow for wider running lanes because the D lines up on the O linemen. The D line lines up on a point on the O lineman. Head up, outside shoulder, inside shoulder, inside eye, outside eye (0, 1, 2, 3 technique), just depends.

The splits tend to get smaller in passing situations. That's where the hand holding comes in.

I'm sure someone can get more in depth than that
 
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ysubuck said:
Depends on what you want to do with the offense.
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That is very true...Good points YSU

Tight splits usually are a telling sign of confidence also...if a team is blowing gaps and sending backers, the o-line will tighten up to help with any assignment confusion.

The splits are also a read beyond situational down and distance also...for example, a guard who is about to pull may show a smaller split and a tight end's split may be widened to influence/invite a defender into a gap.
 
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I often see the lineman holding hands as the set thier splits - I'm not sure if this a symbolic 'locking arms' or a way to consistently measure their splits - maybe both?
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this is because it gets loud in stadiums and they cant hear the snap. so when the ball is hiked the person that can hear it (or see it) moves. the person holding his hand can obviously move as well.
 
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