Spring Finals: Offensive Line

We all know by now that spring has come and gone, football wise that is, so we will be taking a look into all the positions, tell you how they did, and where they might be this fall. Today's topic is the Offensive Line.

Ohio State has been criticized so much about the offensive line that in 2008, Jim Tressel himself took over for Jim Heacock. Much of the blame had been put on him as well for losing and collapsing against top-tier teams. It didn't help much, but in 2009, the O-Line turned the corner of destiny, making themselves a decent line. Against USC, they held their own, and opened up lanes for Boom Herron to find, and to cut through. Then against Penn St. they opened up holes for Boom and Zoom to destroy the D-line, and then gave up no sacks the the Nittany Lions. Now in 2010, with the majority of everyone returning to their spots, things are looking up for this group of talented linemen.

Depth Chart Prediction

1. Left Tackle - Mike Adams - Mike Adams has had some rough patches at Ohio State, going through the disappointment treatment from Bloggers and fans across the nation as he was very prematurely dubbed "the next Orlando Pace" obviously, we now know that that would be this guy. Seriously, though, Mike Adams proved that he has improved, and hopes to hold down his spot on the line.
2. Left Guard - Justin Boren - Returning for his final season in a Buckeye uni, the UM transfer is coming off a pretty good season for the Buckeyes at RG, but now the need is for him to be over on the left side. When he first came here, there were doubts, but now Buckeyes look up to him and respect him on the line.
3. Center - Michael Brewster - Mike Brewster enters his junior year and had a solid year in 2009. He was a starter the entire year, and was able to put up some decent numbers. I am very excited to have him at this position, to see what he can do.
4. Right Guard - J.B. Shugarts - A lot of people will disagree with me choosing to put Boren over on the left, but I think Shugarts is up for the task to take over on the right. It's important to have experience on the line, and Shugarts brings it. He got some playing time last year, and will build on it by starting this year.
5. Right Tackle - Bryant Browning - He's back at it again. Browning was an inexperienced lineman going into the 2009 season, but now, he has a season on his back, and he should be ready to come out guns blazing. I'm looking forward to him turning into a go to guy on the line.
6. Subs - Jack Mewhort, Marcus Hall - It's hard to tell with linemen sometimes, and not putting Mewhort up there took some concentration. I think both of these two could end up getting some playing time, especially against teams like, Ohio U. Although, history is known to repeat itself.

How They Did

Mike Adams: Well, it's time to put away the boo calls, as Mike Adams has earned his spot on the line. Even better, it's the Blind Side. All spring he was fighting with the candidates for the spot, and he showed up to play and impressed the coaches. I tip my hat off to him.

Justin Boren: Justin Boren has been getting ready to leave the Ohio State University with a bang. He wants that MNC trophy, and we can all feel it. His spring went along as they always do, and you didn't hear much from him, except the occasional word about the underclassman around him. His actions speak louder than words, so let's see it happen.

Michael Brewster: He is in the same spot Boren is in. Quiet spring, simply because he knows what he needs to do, and knows whats in store for him. I think he is going to be a pretty good leader for this group, and along with Boren, the experience is there.

J.B. Shugarts:  It's going to be his first year starting, and I'm excited. He had good, solid games last year, and will build on it. Taking the spot from Boren, so they could make room for Shugarts might lead to some tension, but we will see. We don't even know for sure if he will go here, but It's my prediction, and I'm sticking with his great spring story.

Bryant Browning: Browning has been known for his collapse in 2008 against Penn St. but since then, he has only improved. He was a big part of those USC and Penn St. games in '09, even with some occasional mistakes. He was still in the learning process, but there are no excuses this year. This should be a good one.

Overall Depth: B+

Don't get me wrong, this line has some really good experience. With Boren and Brewster, I think it could be enough. Adams is just becoming a decent lineman, Browning just got done "learning", and Shugarts just earned starting. It will be interesting to see how it plays out against Marshall. This is where it all starts, ladies and gentlemen. Let's start the engine.