OL better. Why?

dressedcheeseside

dressedcheeseside

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This is my first discussion post.

It has been stated overwhelmingly that this year's OL will be far better than last year's. In fact, it is expected by many to be one of our strengths and the leading factor for a much more productive offense. I don't dispute this, however, I want to know why exactly.

Ofcourse, it is a more experienced bunch. Its also a bigger bunch. Does experience and size automatically mean better? How do these two factors affect execution? Are there other factors as well?

I am looking forward to seeing this bunch perform and am expecting big things based on comments I've heard on this and other boards. However I would like to hear it a little more spelled out. Thanks.

The Cheese
 
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For one tning, if you look back at the last few games of last season the line was starting to really come together. The ugag game, in particular late in the game they looked very good and the experience of playing together for an entire year was evident. Now add the stability of retaining all but one starter, the extra size and strength of another off season program, plus the size and strength of Wrotto and you see why we're so high on their potential.
 
dressedcheeseside said:
Does experience and size automatically mean better?
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Yes :D

Given the improvement I've seen from the beginning of 04 to the end of 05, this should be a fun year.
 
Thanks, sounds like they get better over time working together. I thought it was more one on one. Each guy beating the man in front of him. This begs another question. How do OL's work together as a team? I'm pretty OL ignorant, I admit.

The Cheese
 
I'll second what ncj had to say, and add this: I have heard from people who are in a position to know that this O-line is from top to bottom the most talented we've ever had at Tech. Not only are they big and strong, they are fast and agile.
 
Does experience and size automatically mean better? How do these two factors affect execution? Are there other factors as well?
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This is a good question for fridge mover.

Based on all of my years of watching college and NFL football, experience is very important, but not necessarily individual experience. The experience of the whole line working as a team and knowing their assignments is probably the most important aspect.

Physically - strength, agility & balance are more important than weight. Olineman have to be better on their feet to deal with the smaller quicker defensive lineman. Pure size doesn't necessarily get it done.

Chan and staff have taken projected TEs, DLs and high school OLs (tall, good frames, but not heavy) and developed them into college OLs through proper nutrition and strength training.
 
Maybe big enough? Also, I think we'll have more than one 300 pounder on the line when the season roles around. These guys are still growing.
 
The OL is the group who has to all be together on one page more than any other group. When the OL gets down in their stance, and know the play they have to run, how the defense is align will dictate how they will block. The center might make some Line-calls to dictate who he or certain players should block.

Once the play begins, one OL must know who he has to block, and he also must know where the OL next to him will block.

For pass-plays, they have to handle stunts byt he defense, and each OL must know when to let one defender by and pick up the next. Often-times, they will double-team one defender, and it helps that each OL know how the other will block.

Finally, the many traps and pulls we run, the OL need to know where each OL on the line will be, so they can make their proper blocking-path behind them.

No doubt, the longer a OL is together, the more they will gell.
 
GEETEELEE said:
I'll second what ncj had to say, and add this: I have heard from people who are in a position to know that this O-line is from top to bottom the most talented we've ever had at Tech. Not only are they big and strong, they are fast and agile.
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I don't think I can buy that. I'll believe it when I see it. Last year our offensive line got pushed all over the place and had to scheme block just to hold off defenders.

This year if they can go straight blocking and give Reggie a decent chance to throw to Calvin, I may think they are a great line, but no offense to those players...

They haven't done shit yet to warrant that compliment.
 
BarrelORum said:
...

They haven't done shit yet to warrant that compliment.
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Ain't no butter on them beans!

I do agree that the trap and stunt blocks were out of necessity last year.
Maybe the above quote is good locker room material.

This year will be a big improvement for sure.
 
BarrelORum said:
I don't think I can buy that. I'll believe it when I see it. .....

They haven't done shit yet to warrant that compliment.
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It wasn't my idea - a certain person on the Insider's said it.

Agree, they ain't done doodoo to deserve the compliment, however, last year they were undersized and inexperienced, but talented. This year they add size and experience to go with the talent.
 
BarrelORum said:
...Last year our offensive line got pushed all over the place and had to scheme block just to hold off defenders....

They haven't done shit yet to warrant that compliment.
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I wouldn't say they got pushed all over the place. We were 4th in yards per carry, 2nd in offensive TOP, 1st in sacks given up. I don't think we have stats like that if our OL was getting pushed all over the place.

And this is against the top defensive talent in the country week in and out, as shown in the draft.

Plus, i think we had been any kind of threat to pass at all, they wouldn't have 8 or 9 guys coming at them every play. Of course you have to change your scheme if you know your going to have 8+ guys coming at you every play.
 
GEETEELEE said:
It wasn't my idea - a certain person on the Insider's said it.

Agree, they ain't done doodoo to deserve the compliment, however, last year they were undersized and inexperienced, but talented. This year they add size and experience to go with the talent.
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They were forced last year to "hide" some inadequacies (youth, inexperience, and depth) early in the season. But they did improve throughout the season.

They've had another offseason to gel and gain strength. Also, we should now have enough depth where we can (God forbid) absorb an injury should it occur. We haven't been able to say that since the Joe Hamilton days.

EDIT: excellent points, odw.
 
The one question mark I see is Wrotto. I heard, not that he was having a lot of problems, but that he was getting used to the schemes. This was early in spring, so I don't know how he's progressed since then.

The line looked decent enough when I saw the scrimmage later in the year, but then again I'm not sure what to look for in a line. I just hope we can perform well in situations where the other team KNOWS whether we're running or passing, like in the 4th quarter of the UNC game or some 3rd down situations where Reggie was running for his life.
 
GEETEELEE said:
I'll second what ncj had to say, and add this: I have heard from people who are in a position to know that this O-line is from top to bottom the most talented we've ever had at Tech. e.
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I hope that is true. I am somewhat skeptical of how far back in time your sources go...The O line in '90 was absolutely dominant, seemed like they could get 3 yards of push on anybody. That team would often run on 3rd and5 (with success). Next best was the line in '78 when ELI was in the backfield. Agian I am hoping you and your sources are correct. If so, this could be a breakout year.
 
I agree with several posts above about experience and even though individual experience is very important, "working together as a unit" experince is extremely important.

The O line is not just about fat guys running into and getting in the way of people who are mostly smaller and quicker than they are. The O line is orchestrated chaos that, when practiced correctly and practiced correctly and then performed correctly in a game, is really beautiful.

OLs have to genuinely trust the guy next to them and really believe that the guy knows what to do on a particular play and that he will do it. I think they'll be pretty damn good this year. I like offensive linemen. If you feed them well, scratch behind their ears, pet them, and let them inside when a thunderstorm comes up, they will do anything for you.

If you can tear your eyes away from the ball for a few plays this year, watch the O line. It's interesting.
 
GEETEELEE said:
It wasn't my idea - a certain person on the Insider's said it.
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Well consider the source. 90% of the people who regularly post on the Insiders Board own a penis pump when it comes to discussing GT sports. They blow things up to make them sound better and bigger than they really are. Not many people deal in the realities of both positive and negative aspects of our teams.

These are the same Tech fans who think that any one word negative about the program could bring us into 10 year spiral of dire straights so they place large amounts of cover-up make-up on the problems to conceal them. What they don't realize is that nothing we say on message boards has a large effect on the program in general. But don't tell them that.

These are the same guys who said in 2001 that Bilbo was a sure thing and the next Joe Hamilton and 2 years later said he just wasn't a QB and a natural receiver. They say whatever the flavor of the day is. But as soon as you disagree with their happy fun sunshine gang, they get their panties in a wad. The flavor for today is recruiting. It used to be that we couldn't recruit the state of Georgia because of academic issues with highschool ahtletes. They dished that one out in high doses to the masses. In reality we had a suck ass recruiting coordinator and a coach that let him stay at his job 2 years too long. Now you are seeing what happens when all of the sudden you identify a problem and you correct it, instead of covering it up with some bullshit excuse.

There are about 12 people on the Insiders board that I think have a clue about college football. The other 300 or so probably never competed in sports in their life and wouldn't know a nickel defense from a goal line defense.

Our line is far from being the greatest line to ever play at Tech. Look at the tape from last year. There's a TON of improvement needed to be even in the best 3 in the ACC. See the problem and discuss it. Not discussing the problem gave us two years of crap recruiting efforts from a man who couldn't sell a popsicle to kids on a 110 degree day.

The majority of the Insiders Board needs desperately to get a clue.
 
odw said:
I wouldn't say they got pushed all over the place. We were 4th in yards per carry, 2nd in offensive TOP, 1st in sacks given up. I don't think we have stats like that if our OL was getting pushed all over the place.

And this is against the top defensive talent in the country week in and out, as shown in the draft.
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I hear you and give them credit for that. What you said is a fair statement. Saying that they possibly are the best OLIne unit ever at Tech is shoveling a bunch of crap. If you look at much of the tapes from last year you'll see a lot of scheme blocking. This is directional blocking used ideally in traps and things like that but more regularly which helps smaller oline's accomplish their blocks. Reggie didn't have a lot of time to throw last year and was often avoiding the sack by scrambling then having a ton of time in the pocket.

I said last year that I give major props to Coach D'allesandries. I also apologized for calling him out the year before. I think he did a fantastic job with a young, inexperienced and undersized line. That was exactly what they were. I just don;t see this unit being overpowering this year. I think they can be good if not very good. But dominating? No.
 
Do you need a cookie or something BOR? I agree that there's no way anyone could think this year's line is possibly the best in Tech history, but you're a little over the top on that post aren't you?

Oh, and you have no better idea of whether this group can be dominating than the guys on the Insider board you're calling out. Personally I think as a group they were beginning to figure out what they were doing as the year ended and are poised to take it up a significant step this year. Whether they will dominate or not remains to be seen.

BTW what's the difference between very good and dominating anyway?
 
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