Ohio State coach Urban Meyer believes the success or failure of his football team each year is directly tied to how well the Buckeyes’ offensive line performs.
That’s what Meyer points to when he looks back at his first season at Ohio State in 2012. How did the Buckeyes go 12-0 that season after going just 6-7 the year before? The Buckeyes didn’t have a great defense this year, Meyer said, but they did have a dynamic quarterback in Braxton Miller and perhaps most importantly, a great offensive line. The unit improved significantly in Ed Warinner’s first year as offensive line coach, as left tackle Jack Mewhort, left guard Andrew Norwell and center Corey Linsley all developed into players who are still playing in the NFL today.
On the other end of the spectrum, Meyer also points to his offensive line when assessing what went wrong for the Buckeyes last season. With three first-year starters on the unit and a first-year offensive line coach in Greg Studrawa, Ohio State struggled significantly last season in pass protection, particularly in its two losses to Penn State and Clemson.
"We are an offensive line-driven program," Meyer said during his press conference on Monday. "I think any coach would stand in front of you and say if your offensive line becomes the best in the conference, you're probably going to win the conference. And last year we were not, and we did not."
It remains to be determined whether Ohio State’s offensive line can be the best in the Big Ten, just as it remains to be determined whether Ohio State is good enough to win the Big Ten. But Meyer is pleased with the progress his offensive line has made so far this season, describing the overall direction of the unit as "very good."
"We should be in the hunt if we continue to grow as an offensive line," Meyer said.
“If your offensive line becomes the best in the conference, you're probably going to win the conference. And last year we were not, and we did not.”– Urban Meyer
One of the biggest issues with Ohio State’s offensive line last season was the play of right tackle Isaiah Prince, who was a clear liability for the Buckeyes in pass protection. Prince’s play has evidently improved this season, especially this past Saturday against UNLV, as he earned offensive player of the game honors for his performance against the Rebels. Meyer said Prince "had his best week of practice" leading up to the game and "played very well."
Ohio State right tackle Isaiah Prince (59) needed to play better this season. So far, he has.
The Buckeyes are more experienced up front this year than they were last year, with center Billy Price leading the unit as a fourth-year starter while Prince, left tackle Jamarco Jones and left guard Michael Jordan are all now second-year starters. All four of those offensive linemen have been named champions for each of Ohio State’s three wins this season.
CFB Film Room posted its pass block efficiency ratings for Ohio State’s offensive linemen prior to the UNLV game, revealing that Price and Jones have been among the best pass blockers in the country while Prince, after ranking among the worst last season, had already significantly improved.
Here's how Ohio State's offensive line stacks up in our Pass Block Efficiency Ratings... Price and Jones having stellar seasons. pic.twitter.com/OngBO7POf3
— CFB Film Room (@CFBFilmRoom) September 19, 2017
Also worth noting: I.Prince had the lowest rating we've scored last season. Jumping up to 47th percentile this season is a huge improvement
— CFB Film Room (@CFBFilmRoom) September 19, 2017
First-year right guard Branden Bowen’s play is still a work in progress – as evidenced by the fact that he played all 88 of Ohio State’s offensive snaps in Saturday’s 54-21 win, while the rest of the starting offensive linemen came out of the game before the second half – but he, too, was named as a champion for his performance in the Buckeyes’ wins over Indiana and Army.
Ohio State’s offensive line play wasn’t stellar in its loss to Oklahoma, and strong showings against the lesser talented defensive fronts of Army and UNLV don’t necessarily prove that the Buckeyes have improved in that area. The Buckeyes will have to do that in Big Ten play, especially against Penn State and Michigan, two teams that gave Ohio State’s offensive line significant trouble last season. But if the Buckeyes offensive line can continue to move in the right direction and play better against those teams and the rest of the conference this year, that could be the difference they need to get back to the conference title game.
