Big Ten Football: Power Ranking the Offensive Lines in 2015
It really doesn't matter what type of offense you run; a solid offensive line is the key to offensive success and winning football games. While often unheralded, offensive linemen are often the difference between winning and losing, which is why coaching staffs spend so much time recruiting and coaching up the position group.
The Big Ten has traditionally produced some of the best O-line talent over the years, and 2015 probably won't be much different. Defending national champion Ohio State isn't the only program in the conference returning the bulk of its offensive line talent from last season, so it's high time we take a look ahead to 2015 and project where each Big Ten program will rank in terms of O-line play this fall.
Nos. 10-14
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If offensive line play is a strong indicator of overall team success, then it's no wonder these teams find themselves near the bottom of both an offensive line power ranking, and, for the most part, the conference standings as well.
No. 14: Purdue
Experience isn't the only thing that matters, but Purdue is desperately seeking some consistency from all aspects—any aspects—of the game. For 2015, Purdue won't have a single senior on the offensive line's two-deep after the departures of Cameron Cermin and J.J. Prince.
Perhaps the return of three starters—two freshman and a sophomore from 2014—can provide some semblance of experience on a very young line.
No. 13: Northwestern
Northwestern was another program with a young line in 2014, and like Purdue, it graduated two senior leaders from the position. However, unlike Purdue, the Wildcats will feature a pair of senior starters (at both guard positions).
Junior Eric Olson also returns at right tackle with a year's worth of starting experience under his belt.
No. 12: Illinois
Illinois needs some better play from the offensive line as head coach Tim Beckman enters a pivotal fourth season at the helm of the Illini. Led by senior Patrick Flavin, the Illini will have a mix of "old" and "new" on the O-line for quarterback Wes Lunt—or whoever earns the starting role—in 2015.
No. 11: Rutgers
Rutgers certainly wasn't one of the worst offensive lines in 2014, finishing in the middle of the pack in terms of both rushing and passing offense. It is, however, easy to see where our concern for 2015 comes from when you learn that Rutgers will be losing four offensive linemen to graduation, including three full-time starters.
That's a lot of experience to replace, and we're just not ready to jump on the Scarlet Knights' bandwagon just yet.
No. 10: Maryland
Maryland will lose a pair of senior starters for 2015, but it returns a core of experience and talent for 2015 in Ryan Doyle and Andrew Zeller. While the offensive line might be a mixed bag, the loss of a number of offensive skill position players is a big question mark for the Terps in 2015.
Last season, Maryland finished as the No. 12 total offense in the Big Ten. Rebuilding a depleted offense (especially with the early departure of Stefon Diggs) will depend on how well the offensive line can give extra time to a new starting quarterback and inexperienced receiving corps.
No. 9: Indiana
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The Hoosiers finished 2014 with the third-best rushing offense in the Big Ten. Sure, Tevin Coleman's 2,036 yards had a lot to do with that, but even a talented guy like Coleman needs a competent offensive line to get anywhere close to 2,000 rushing yards.
The Hoosiers certainly had some heft up front last season, and the good news if you're a fan of Indiana football is that many of those same guys will make a return for 2015. The Hoosiers will have three seniors starting along the offensive line this fall (four, if you include tight end Michael Cooper).
And while Coleman himself won't be back for 2015 after declaring his eligibility for the 2015 NFL draft, the Hoosiers are in a good position from an offensive line standpoint to make some continued improvements on offense this fall.
No. 8: Iowa
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It's amazing how the loss of one guy can dramatically change the outlook of a position group from one season to the next. Of course, when that one guy is All-American guard Brandon Scherff, it's understandable.
Scherff is on track to be one of, if not the highest drafted guard of the last few decades, and his loss will be instantly noticeable for both Hawkeyes fans and opposing defensive coordinators.
But Scherff's departure doesn't mean all doom-and-gloom for Iowa; there's still a lot of talent and some great experience heading back to campus next fall.
Iowa will have a pair of senior leaders on the line in Jordan Walsh and Austin Blake. Replacing Scherff will likely be Sean Walsh (no relation to Jordan), a 6'3", 290-pound sophomore from Ohio. He'll be joined by another pair of sophomores at both tackle positions, giving Iowa a mix of youth and experience for 2015.
The trouble is, youth isn't always a good thing when you're talking about offensive lines.
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No. 7: Nebraska
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The offensive line at Nebraska may not get as much attention on campus as the guys on the defensive side of the football, but with the Huskers' offense improving over the last two seasons (sixth in the Big Ten in total offense in 2013 and fourth in 2014), maybe the O-line should have its own nickname.
There is, however, one major problem with Nebraska's offensive line for 2015 that keeps us from putting the Huskers any higher than a very generous No. 6 on our offensive line power rankings list: All five offensive line starters from 2014 were seniors.
It'll be up to new head coach Mike Riley to retool an inexperienced O-line while instituting his own brand of offense. On second thought, maybe having an offensive line with only two guys with any starting experience (Alex Lewis and Zach Sterup) won't be such a bad thing after all.
No. 6: Penn State
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A young offensive line isn't necessarily a rarity for teams under the weight of NCAA-imposed scholarship reductions. Penn State has been playing through a few years of incredible lack of depth at almost every position on the field, including offensive line. But now that the sanctions have been lifted, don't be surprised to see the Nittany Lions ready to compete in the East Division.
The silver lining to all of those youngsters starting on the offensive line is the fact that they eventually "grow up." Such is the case for 2015 in Happy Valley.
With the exception of Donovan Smith, Penn State returns its offensive line from 2014 intact. Even scarier is that the group will still only field a single senior (center Angelo Mangiro).
The Nittany Lions seem to be playing better and better these days, and with an influx of talent, the excitement generated by James Franklin's arrival and the experienced players set to take the field in 2015, don't sleep on Penn State.
No. 5: Michigan
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There's no question that Michigan has been underperforming pretty consistently over the past couple of seasons. But if you're a Michigan fan, hope springs eternal—especially with the arrival of favorite son Jim Harbaugh to save the day.
During the Brady Hoke era, Michigan wasn't lacking for talent. Unfortunately, that talent never coalesced into a winning team. With Harbaugh—a proven winner at both the college and NFL levels—at the helm, the University of Michigan faithful is hopeful that will soon change.
One big factor working in Michigan's favor is the experience returning at offensive line. The Wolverines will return all five starters from last season, and under Harbaugh's (and offensive line coach and offensive coordinator Tim Drevno's) tutelage, perhaps that talent and experience can congeal and develop into more than the sum of its parts.
No. 4: Wisconsin
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Yes, offensive lines have a lot to do with both rushing and passing, but you don't put together the Big Ten's top ground attack without a stellar offensive line.
Last season, Wisconsin averaged over 320 yards on the ground per game, which was tops in the Big Ten and fourth nationally (behind the triple-option sans passing offenses of Navy, Georgia Tech and Georgia Southern). Melvin Gordon was obviously a huge part of that total, but as we've previously stated, great running backs don't put up video game numbers all on their own.
For 2015, the defending West Division champions will need to find some new playmakers on the offensive line after Dallas Lewallen and consensus All-Big Ten first-teamers Kyle Costigan and Rob Havenstein departed the program.
Still, second-team All-Big Ten center Dan Voltz is back, along with Tyler Merz at tackle, so there should be a healthy dose of institutional memory with these two upperclassmen anchoring the line.
No. 3: Minnesota
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Josh Campion and Joe Bjorklund are going to anchor one of the scariest returning offensive lines in the conference this season, and with the trajectory of the Minnesota program, don't be surprised if the hard-nosed offensive line plows over the competition towards a West Division title in 2015.
Joined by fellow returning starter Jonah Pirsig, the Gophers will have experience on both sides of center; and that will certainly benefit quarterback Mitch Leidner and senior fullback Miles Thomas this fall.
Minnesota hasn't done a lot of passing over the past few seasons, but with a quarterback and three of the team's top four wide receivers back this fall, watch for the Gophers to mix it up a bit on offense.
No. 2: Michigan State
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Michigan State has built a reputation for lock-down defenses that have resulted in the Spartans putting together a 24-3 record over the past two seasons—better than any FBS program with the exceptions of Ohio State (26-3) and Florida State (27-1).
So when Michigan State struts out onto the field and puts up an average of 500 offensive yards per game in 2014 (second in the Big Ten and 11th in the FBS), people take notice.
The Spartans fielded one of the top offensive lines in the Big Ten last season, and with four starters returning for 2015—including USA Today All-American Jack Allen and second-team All-Big Ten Jack Conklin—you can bet there won't be much falloff from last season.
Add to the mix eight defensive starters coming back in 2015, and don't be surprised to see MSU as a top-10 team when the preseason polls are released.
No. 1: Ohio State
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Compare defending national champion Ohio State to almost any other team in the nation, and you'll find a Buckeyes squad that looks surprisingly young for the wealth of experience it now has. Of the seven offensive starters (nine, if you count all three quarterbacks) returning for 2015, four are on the offensive line.
Just how good was the offensive line for Ohio State in 2014? Only Wisconsin averaged more yards per game on the ground (and we all saw what happened when the Badgers ran into the Buckeyes), and Ohio State averaged 286.5 rushing yards against its four ranked opponents last season (Michigan State, Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon).
Wow. Just, wow.
Ohio State wasn't too terrible in the passing game, either—an area where the Buckeyes struggled in 2013. With an average just shy of 250 yards per game (247.1), the Buckeyes finished third in the conference in passing offense.
Bring back All-Big Ten honorees Taylor Decker and Pat Elflein with senior Jacoby Boren in the middle, and we seriously doubt that any lack of championship trophies earned by the Buckeyes in 2015 could possibly be attributed to the offensive line.
Follow Bleacher Report National College Football Featured Columnist David Luther on Twitter.
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