The Front Row

This was a great article about an issue we often discuss.

I've thought our lack of successful NFL OLine would definitely burn us with recruiting high profile linemen.

Very well written with lots of supporting data. The thing that is unacceptable is the fact that under Jim Tressel we've allowed our recruiting to take only one OL 3 times in ten years. 30% of the time is way too many! I don't understand what Bollman's aversion to recruiting athletic LT tackle prospects is? Oh well, if you don't recruit them they certainly aren't going to come here. There is no way we should ever take less than 3 OL in any class for a position group that puts 5 guys on the field at the same time. Anybody who actually watched the Florida and LSU NC's and the USC games knows we have a lot of work to do.

I am lost how we are rock bottom because we "lost" this kid? We have the Top 2 OL recruits in Ohio?? Unreal.... it seems to be all or nothing with OSU fans these days and I am getting sick of it.... the kid hasn't scored an 18 yet on the ACT so we don't offer him and we "lose" because someone else takes him off the board because they offer him....

I thought the WHOLE problem these days at OSU is the sense of entitlement and "edge/fringe" kids we are taking... so someone decides not to offer the kid until he proves he can make it the classroom. Wow... that is rock bottom.

Where is all world Seantrel Henderson?? Did we hit rock bottom then too?

Wow, 6 straight Big Ten Championships and NO O-line? That's quite an accomplishment!

You don't see how far off we are on OL recruiting? You think we'll remain competitive if we continue to let the best OL leave the state and play for our rivals in the midwest like ND, Michigan, and Wisconsin? Do you think it's wise to not even offer a guy like Taylor Decker who's 6'8 and 290 who was a Buckeye fan growing up? You would trade guys like Decker and Dodson and be happy getting Tommy Brown, Chris Carter, and Tony Underwood? The bigger problem is all of the kids in the midwest feel like they can get better OL coaching at other schools like Iowa, Michigan, ND, or Wisconsin. I put 50% of the blame on Tress and the other 50% on Bollman. Now that Tress is gone we'll see a drop off in recruiting at every position unless we bring in Urban or remove the interim tag off of luke and hire a top notch OC! Perception is reality when you're 17!

www.firejimbollman.com needs to be un-squatted by whomever owns the damn site... I've called GoDaddy about once a month for the past few years.

OSU has won despite the offensive line hardly because of it. They have dominated a mediocre Big Ten for years with what could best be described as an average offense. They have won with defense and special teams for the most part. Both title games they lost the O line was dominated and half the big plays Pryor made in the last few years was because of his ability to get out of trouble and make something out of nothing. There is no doubt that the O-line has come up big a few times but not on any kind of consistent basis and if the current situation were to hold true for the next few years the product on the field will suffer, count on it. This situation has slowly deteriorated over the years and is getting worse not better. I also believe that the good thing to come from the loss of Tressel is that Bollman will be gone as well as hopefully the development of a new offensive philosophy

Most of our fans pay attention. I agree that overall our record was very successful just looking at the numbers. But ask yourself, if you really want to be honest, has our OL gotten pushed around by the likes of Ohio university, Troy, Purdue, Illinois, Wisconsin? I'm not even talking about the embarrassing losses like LSU, Florida, SC twice back to back! People want to bring up our record, and I agree it's excellent, but I trust my eyes more than your opinion or anything else for that matter. I've watched us play down to teams, not be able to sustain drives, and most importantly not convert 3rd and 4th and short yard situations inside the redzone way to many times. Tress goes for FG's or punts because he's never had any real amount of confidence in his offense when he needed a tough yard or two. I've seen players look lost, be played out of position, not know the snap count, and be put in losing positions where they commit penalty after penalty because we have no depth. It's about low numbers, it always has been. Rip on me all you want, I don't give a shit! Be all about Tressel and stay on his jock, but you will have to move on because your favorite coach of all time put us in a bad position and is no longer here. I don't give a shit about TP, Boom, Adams, or Posey. This is about a guy in his 50's who wouldn't change and chose death before dishonor. That's fine, what's done is done, but his actions have done a fair amount of damage in a relatively short time. I'm tired of watching the same mistakes be committed over and over year after year with OL recruiting. We couldn't even have a real spring game because of the lack of numbers. If you are honest you know you've screamed at the TV or in the shoe and said to yourself what the F are they doing. If you are telling me that you haven't then you're a liar just like JT. All you have in this world is your word, I'm sure that Tress will have to live with that for the rest of his life!

PS woody, why do you think we've gone away from a traditional pocket passer and gone with more mobile athletic qb's? Because we have too. Our own players like Taylor Graham and Bauserman would get killed in practice against our own defense if they were allowed to hit. But you're right Graham didn't get sacked 5 times in the spring game either! Use your eyes, the recruits who are thinking about playing for us are. IF I was an OL I probably wouldn't come here either. IF I was a defensive player it would be a no brainer.

But when we take second tier guys people would compain then as well. I'm not sold that our oline is as bad as people make it out to be. Having said that, it doesn't bother me to see Bollman go. Boren and Kalis are a good start no matter how you look at it and there is still a TON of time to see what happens until FEB. of next year! I'm not panicing yet and hardly feel like we're at rock bottom. I would say 2007 was probably rock bottom in oline recruiting or whatever year it was where we only took Blankenship. How could 2012 be rock bottom after a class that had one oline who was barely offered by MAC schools?

I think this is a bit of an overeaction... christ. the dude is wearing a bucky the badge cap in his damn photo, i get it that it is a camp photo... but geez...