Offensive Line play question - query...

[TheHumanAlphabet]

Had a coffee bar conversation today regarding OU offensive line play/size vs. Power 5 Conferences...

Question, is OU and Big 12 line play different than the Power 5 conferences and therefore we recruit differently in the Big 12?

If line play is line play, then why does OU seem to have a problem in games with Power 5 teams and inability to run?

This is not about individuals, but rather looking a philosophy or style and if we are geared to win Big 12 Championships and may be missing something that translates against Power 5 conference teams? Does the offensive scheme favored in the Big 12 harm our play against our Bowl foes?

[ObiKaTony]

No, we had a an awesome line last year, they all left. This line was outrageously young, and it showed against teams with talent (Texas, tenn, and Clemson). It was masked by an awesome scrambling qb, and 2 potential nfl backs...

Next year they will be better, but I've lost all faith in stoops winning a national title, he is 0-5 and hasn't been able to score more than 19 points in any nat'l game he's been in. He can't coach the big one 2 weeks after the season. It's obvious.

[CincySooner]

My guess is that it had more to do with starting 2 freshmen and a sophomore. Last year OU started 4 seniors and a junior.

[BoulderSooner79]

Lots of agreement on various boards that we are paying for a recruiting bubble in the O-line created by some by asst. coaching hires by Stoops. Those coaches are gone, so we'll have to see how the current ones perform. Having a true FR starting at OT is certainly a red flag - not unheard of but takes a rare beast and Samia is not that rare beast. I have high confidence the O-line will be more physical next year, but we'll have to see if they are overall improved. It takes a lot of ingredients including luck to win it all, but that's not true at the conference level. OU should be in the conference race almost every year and win it a good percentage of the time. Glad we are back at that level.

[Soonerjeepman]

My guess is that it had more to do with starting 2 freshmen and a sophomore. Last year OU started 4 seniors and a junior.

and we were 8-5 go figure...

[Soonerjeepman]

what's crazy, is OU has put o lineman in the nfl...has a passing offense which more closely resembles nfl offenses but yet we can't get top lineman.

[yermom]

How many of them started at other positions?

[Soonerjeepman]

How many of them started at other positions?

don't know...you tell me.

Lane is one for sure...but he was recruited as a TE or lineman, not qb that he played in juco.

[pappy]

O-Line will be more of a strength next year. Lots of young talent got a lot of experience this year. Looks like they are going after bigger o-linemen with Bedenbaugh now, than in the past.

[rock on sooner]

Sure hope so, because the two NFL running backs can't open the holes
themselves...and it appears run first then pass will be 2016, since no
Shep, no Neal BUT Andrews, Westbrook, Quick (?), Baxter plus incoming
all to pick up Shep's slack....Shake and Bake(r) all the way to #8...jus sayin..

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

When we started running the ball this year, we did the following:

1. Replaced a senior with a freshman
2. Had one side of the OL zone blocking with the other side man blocking
3. Constantly pulled the man side to help the zone blocking side

It was just a matter of time before we ran into a team that had the right personnel to overcome this setup. As for the bigger question, where we struggle is in execution vs other power 5 teams. We just miss too many blocks consistently and at some point, your running back's talent can't overcome it.

[yermom]

don't know...you tell me.

Lane is one for sure...but he was recruited as a TE or lineman, not qb that he played in juco.

Lane, Jammal Brown was DL, Chris Chester was another TE i think. I was thinking Brody Eldridge, but he was a TE i the league after playing OL for us that year

[Rock Hard Corn Frog]

O-Line will be more of a strength next year. Lots of young talent got a lot of experience this year. Looks like they are going after bigger o-linemen with Bedenbaugh now, than in the past.

I agree. I think we probably improve a lot there next year. I'm a lot more concerned with WRs taking up the slack for losing Shep and very concerned about our defensive front. I can see the offense being championship caliber next year. We need a Gerald McCoy or Tommie Harris at DT.