Auburn Football: Why the Offensive Line Could Cost the Team an SEC Crown

Last season, one of the most promising positions for the Tigers was the offensive line. With veterans that had played since they were freshman and sophomores anchoring the line, experience was a given and controlling the line was never a concern.

The offensive line and defensive line is where most games are won and lost in football. You can have every skill player in the world and not have a single lineman over 250 and that skill player will lose the battle against the defense nine out of 10 times. How Auburn is able to adapt this season on the offensive front will go a long way to determine how successful the Tigers offense will be.

Even in the first year of the Chizik regime, the offensive line was stout. Jeff Grimes stepped in and told guys that had lost weight for the Tony Franklin System to gain it back. He wanted his linemen to be big and nasty in the trenches and to be ready and willing to battle on the line.

This coaching staff has done a phenomenal job at recruiting an abundance of talent. The problem that Auburn will face this season is not so much a lack of talent but a lack of experience.

The one positive to a loss last season was that a bit of experience was gained. A.J. Greene started the season as the starting right tackle and the final piece to the five- man puzzle that needed a final anchor. In the fourth game of the season, Greene went down to a season-ending injury, but it paved the way for Brandon Moseley to step up and fill the role at the tackle spot.

The injury gave Moseley some much needed experience and finished Moseley’s transition to tackle from tight end. What it also did was ensure that Auburn would return two starters to the offensive line this season, and while that is not a major cornerstone for a team, it is a starting point.

As Auburn looks into its depth chart to find some starters for the 2011 season, finding anyone that has been in the program for more than two years is a stretch. Jared Cooper is a rising senior and Blake Burgess, a walk-on, are the next most experienced in line. Burgess is a player that was the backup center last year on the title team and leads the pack for earning the starting nod so far this season.

Reese Dismukes is the guy that is pushing Burgess the most, and Dismukes has still yet to attend his formal high school graduation. It is not hard to see that experience at most positions is lacking severely, and that is going to be the biggest hill to climb for the Tigers and position coach Jeff Grimes. Getting guys to gel in the early days of the season is going to be vitally important for the Tigers. Even though Dismukes is on campus this spring, he is still extremely young to lead an offensive line.

There is some experience at the guard position for the Tigers with John Sullen and Jared Cooper. There are quality backups and very talented guys waiting in the wings like Eric Mack, Ed Christian, Chad Slade and others. These guys are still very young despite being extremely talented.

The largest concern as the season looms is how will the center position fill out and will the line find the time and the reps to gel and keep a green quarterback from getting nailed consistently. Auburn doesn’t have the benefit of having a playmaker like Cam Newton back in the backfield next season. This team will look much like the team that went 8-5 in 2009.

The Tigers will look to run more from traditional sets and rely on an accurate passing game to lead the offensive charge. Without a solid line to make the line of scrimmage stable, it will be a long road and a very long season for the Tigers.

The most difficult cog and position to fill will no doubt be the center spot. If Auburn can get either Burgess to take the reins or Dismukes to find his groove, this is the position of most importance. The center has the most to do at the beginning and during each play. His line assignment calls matter, especially during an audible situation.

With a huge lack of experience and many underclassmen looking to fill roles on the line, Auburn has an obvious weakness heading into 2011. How they handle the transition up front early and often will determine the level of success they have this season. Whether or not Auburn can repeat as title winners not only on a national level but on a conference level has been focused on the quarterback race and others. The line will make the difference.