OU Offensive line goal line discussion (Big 12 blog)

[Always_Sooner]

Ryan in Sallisaw, Okla., writes: David, I love all the preseason hype my Sooners are getting. Although I don't want to be negative, but National Championship teams seem to always have the ability to run power football betweent the tackles to ice those close games. I just haven't seen the Sooners able to blow an opposing defensive line off the ball since 08. My question is what do you think the chances of the Sooners winning it all without this very important piece of the puzzle, or am I not giving the O-line enough credit?

DU: Blowing people off the line during the '08 season? Did you watch the national championship? Seemed like that was the exact reason why they lost. They did it well with that crazy-good O-line during the Big 12 season, but failures on the goal line doomed them against Florida.

The constant failures on the goal line against Texas A&M least season are definitely a concern, though. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Oklahoma lost a game due to the same reasons in 2011, but the Sooners are good enough everywhere else that it might not matter outside of a few occasions. Execute and convert in those spots and these conversations wouldn't happen.

[Mike Stoops]

I guess that's why we now have TWO OL coaches.

[Always_Sooner]

Yea well it's a start. Also, it takes time to develop a new offensive line. To OU's defense it has gotten better the last year compared to the 2009 unit.

[HBick]

Still think they should of brought the Whale Rider in as a consultant

[Leroy Lizard]

I guess that's why we now have TWO OL coaches.

Mangino's back?

[ashley]

We would scored on the goal line against Florida but we ran the wrong scheme on two plays. I have explained this before. If you watch a rerun you will see. We ran the zone to the left twice instead of the power. On the zone against a goal line D you have the center zone or reach the 1 gap d tackle. It is to hard to do this where the center scoops or zones the 1 technique. You need to run the power where the guard blocks down and the center blocks back against the back side d tackle. You lead the fullback and pull the off side guard around. The play side D tackle, also called a 1 tech, disrupted the play both times.
I hope that is clear. Normally we have done a great job of using blocking schemes.

[cccasooner2]

We would scored on the goal line against Florida but we ran the wrong scheme on two plays. I have explained this before. If you watch a rerun you will see. We ran the zone to the left twice instead of the power. On the zone against a goal line D you have the center zone or reach the 1 gap d tackle. It is to hard to do this where the center scoops or zones the 1 technique. You need to run the power where the guard blocks down and the center blocks back against the back side d tackle. You lead the fullback and pull the off side guard around. The play side D tackle, also called a 1 tech, disrupted the play both times.
I hope that is clear. Normally we have done a great job of using blocking schemes.

You beat me to it, I was about to say the exact same thing.

[MiccoMacey]

We don't typically recruit the power running game type OLinemen. Those are the hulking road paving behemoths. We usually recruit a quicker OLineman, for pass blocking and such.

People want a hybrid of linemen, but that's a rarity. I think for the most part you have to choose one or the other, then work within your strengths and weaknesses of each.

[PalmBeachSooner]

Yea well it's a start. Also, it takes time to develop a new offensive line. To OU's defense it has gotten better the last year compared to the 2009 unit.

Last year we lacked a TE who could block. Seriously. Against A&M and Mizzou our TE's were owned by their DEs. It wasn't pretty.

I love Ratteree but he could do nothing against Miller. Sometimes I wonder if that's why he isn't on scholarship.

So I would definitely like to see the TE's step it up a couple of notches blocking wise.

[boomermagic]

Last year we lacked a TE who could block. Seriously. Against A&M and Mizzou our TE's were owned by their DEs. It wasn't pretty.

I love Ratteree but he could do nothing against Miller. Sometimes I wonder if that's why he isn't on scholarship.

So I would definitely like to see the TE's step it up a couple of notches blocking wise.

Well, If thats the case we should recruit a good blocking TE..