Offensive Line Thread

[Irish YJ]

Yea I’m all for starting Gibbons next week Lugg didn’t look 100%

In general... Time to start resting some of the dinged up guys. Not saying to sit a bunch, just give them enough to keep them sharp, but rest enough to keep them charged up and healthy.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Don't mess around with the offense. We struggled a little this year to get everyone smoothly on the same page with each other. When Book made his Circus throw, he could see that field and the moving parts very well --- Mayer was moving in a flow into an open space that no one else could reach. As long as Ian could "trust" Mayer, he could flip that thing out there. Book knew what Mayer would do. Mayer did it. After the game, Ian immediately said "Trust." You don't break that up.

 

[InKellyWeTrust]

Sorry if this is being discussed elsewhere but what is our starting unit going to be for the Clemson game?

LT Eichenberg
LG Banks
C Zeke? Lugg?
RG Kraemer, I assume fully healthy?
RT Hainsey

 

[BobbyMac]

Sorry if this is being discussed elsewhere but what is our starting unit going to be for the Clemson game?

LT Eichenberg
LG Banks
C Zeke? Lugg?
RG Kraemer, I assume fully healthy?
RT Hainsey

Yep. Zeke or Lugg depending on who's healthy.

 

[greyhammer90]

Yep. Zeke or Lugg depending on who's healthy.

What's your bet if both are healthy?

 

[BabyIrish]

What's your bet if both are healthy?

Zeke

 

[NDMIA]

Football Outsiders Offensive Line Rankings - Basically added up all the rankings in all 9 categories and the overall line rankings in power 5. ND has dropped a few spots in recent weeks but overall really elite stuff. Surprised Virginia is ranked so highly but hats off to Bronco Mendenhall. Alabama just keeps doing what they do on the OLine and their recruiting class in 2021 at OLine is ridiculous.

Alabama 1
Virginia 2
Florida 3
Georgia 4
Stanford 5
Iowa State 6
Texas A&M 7
Notre Dame 8
Auburn 9
Iowa 10
Washington 11
Washington State 12
Ohio State 13
Arizona State 14
Minnesota 15
Oregon 16
Mississippi State 17
North Carolina 18
Maryland 19
UCLA 20
Clemson 21
Oregon State 22
Texas Tech 23
Kentucky 24
Texas 25
Nebraska 26
Florida State 27
Indiana 28
Wisconsin 29
Tennessee 30
Colorado 31
Ole Miss 32
Missouri 33
Rutgers 34
Utah 35
Illinois 36
Virginia Tech 37
LSU 38
Michigan 39
Georgia Tech 40
Penn State 41
NC State 42
Oklahoma 43
Boston College 44
TCU 45
Arkansas 46
USC 47
Kansas State 48
West Virginia 49
Vanderbilt 50
Miami-FL 51
Wake Forest 52
Louisville 53
Purdue 54
Arizona 55
Oklahoma State 56
Northwestern 57
California 58
Pittsburgh 59
Michigan State 60
South Carolina 61
Duke 62
Baylor 63
Syracuse 64
Kansas 65

 

[Riddickulous]

Congrats to Jeff Quinn and the guys on an outstanding year. Unquestionably an elite unit.

 

[irishff1014]

This unit was very very good this year.

 

[T-Boone]

Yep its a real accomplishment just to be in the conversation with Bama for the award. I think Bama has 3 players on their line who are top 10 overall recruits. And they get 2 more next season.

 

[rtrn2glory]

This unit was very very good this year.

Injuries hurt us down the stretch... Losing Patterson killed us and I don't think kraemer was ever truly back to full speed after his surgery

 

[irishff1014]

Injuries hurt us down the stretch... Losing Patterson killed us and I don't think kraemer was ever truly back to full speed after his surgery

That’s another difference between us and Bama and them schools. When you play Louisville you punch them in the mouth early and often then the back ups get to play the fourth quarter. They have to have experience and the have to be coaches ready to go if the starter goes down and we aren’t there.

 

[Irishize]

They played well this season but I can’t call them elite b/c they were never the same post-Patterson. They couldn’t win the LOS vs Clemson or Bama. Meanwhile tOSU OL is pulverizing Clemson in the CFP.

 

[tommyIRISH23]

They played well this season but I can’t call them elite b/c they were never the same post-Patterson. They couldn’t win the LOS vs Clemson or Bama. Meanwhile tOSU OL is pulverizing Clemson in the CFP.

I thought we held up pretty well against Bama. Definitely held up enough to run the ball even with Bama loading the box and we’ll enough to give Book some time, Book just wouldn’t throw it more than 20 yards until the game was out of reach

 

[Irishize]

I thought we held up pretty well against Bama. Definitely held up enough to run the ball even with Bama loading the box and we’ll enough to give Book some time, Book just wouldn’t throw it more than 20 yards until the game was out of reach

Maybe but as I watch tOSU give Fields all day to throw and space for Sermon to eat yardage, I’d put their OL ahead of NDs

 

[AKRowdy]

Honestly seemed like the OL was a better unit with Zeke at center today than they were in the ACC Championship game. I have fears of Lugg at OG or OT next year, just doesn’t seem to have the nasty in him. Zeke is going to be the real deal. Hopefully Banks comes back as well.

 

[irishff1014]

Maybe but as I watch tOSU give Fields all day to throw and space for Sermon to eat yardage, I’d put their OL ahead of NDs

Some of that is playing calling and Rees has been very average at that. I understand it’s his first year but he is very vanilla with his play calling. Easy to game plan and see what’s coming.

 

[Luckylucci]

Very very good unit this year. Quinn seems to be rolling on the field and in recruiting. This offseason gets really interesting.

 

[Irishize]

Honestly seemed like the OL was a better unit with Zeke at center today than they were in the ACC Championship game. I have fears of Lugg at OG or OT next year, just doesn’t seem to have the nasty in him. Zeke is going to be the real deal. Hopefully Banks comes back as well.

Don’t give up on Lugg yet. Center is his third position. I really like his chances at tackle.

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

I thought we held up pretty well against Bama. Definitely held up enough to run the ball even with Bama loading the box and we’ll enough to give Book some time, Book just wouldn’t throw it more than 20 yards until the game was out of reach

OL played a hell of a game tonight. Only one real bust against Bama DL.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

Imagine how Ian would look, without this Oline.

Congrats to Quinn and Co!

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

 

[Irishize]

Very very good unit this year. Quinn seems to be rolling on the field and in recruiting. This offseason gets really interesting.

I have no issues with Quinn & I did before this season. It seems pretty obvious he and Long could never get on the same page and that led me to believe it was a Quinn problem. ND just needs the stars to align and secure an elite OL, elite QB & elite skill players to compete with Clemson, Bama & tOSU. Notice Clemson & Bama didn’t need a bunch of turnovers to easily beat ND...their offense was enough. Same goes for tOSU’s offense tonight. It’s it that Clemson’s D is put in bad situations or tOSU is forcing turnovers with a short field. Their offense is simply dominating Clemson.

 

[tommyIRISH23]

Maybe but as I watch tOSU give Fields all day to throw and space for Sermon to eat yardage, I’d put their OL ahead of NDs

Clemson also doesn’t have the whole team in the box because Fields is ripping them apart over the top.

 

[IrishLax]

Next year is going to be weird. I’m interested to see if someone like Blake Fisher or Tosh Baker can break through. I would guess that Banks comes back, and if so I think the OL is probably going to look something like:

Patterson-Banks-Zeke-Gibbons/Lugg/Fisher-Lugg/Baker... in general, going to be an extremely competitive situation and almost certainly a “rebuilding year.”

 

[Irishize]

Next year is going to be weird. I’m interested to see if someone like Blake Fisher or Tosh Baker can break through. I would guess that Banks comes back, and if so I think the OL is probably going to look something like:

Patterson-Banks-Zeke-Gibbons/Lugg/Fisher-Lugg/Baker... in general, going to be an extremely competitive situation and almost certainly a “rebuilding year.”

Ideally Banks should come back but with the uncertainty of COVID affecting 2021, I think he declares for the draft

 

[Old Man Mike]

Lugg's going to be fine --- just not at center. I see him as a right guard. And... where the BS comes from that he doesn't have the "nasty" bewilders me. He's plenty rough. If Banks comes back, we'll have him, Patterson (both of whom might be AAs), Lugg (plenty good at guard), and two more high-level players. Sure it will be "rebuilding" because coordination takes so long on pass protection, but I'm betting that Kyren will still roll.

As for people comparing OSU's performance vs Clemson with ours: please watch both games while looking at the safeties. Against us, those Clemson safeties were walking down into the box almost at snap. Against Ohio State those safeties were usually deep. I also noticed a difference in Skalski's MO. He was MUCH less attacking minded percentage-wise. Ohio State was blocking four or five guys. We were trying to block at least seven, usually more.

 

[rtrn2glory]

With Banks leaving that leaves us with Patterson as the only true returning starter. Will be interesting to see what they do with him if they keep him at center or slide him to guard or tackle with Zeke getting some experience at center. Regardless we're looking at an O line consisting of at least 4 new starters to protect a first time starting QB. Spring ball is going to be very very entertaining to see what transpires up front

 

[NDisme]

With Banks leaving that leaves us with Patterson as the only true returning starter. Will be interesting to see what they do with him if they keep him at center or slide him to guard or tackle with Zeke getting some experience at center. Regardless we're looking at an O line consisting of at least 4 new starters to protect a first time starting QB. Spring ball is going to be very very entertaining to see what transpires up front

I think Zeke and Patterson on the inside, Lugg probably better suited outside than inside? I’d like to see what Tosh Baker brings

 

[Luckylucci]

With Banks leaving that leaves us with Patterson as the only true returning starter. Will be interesting to see what they do with him if they keep him at center or slide him to guard or tackle with Zeke getting some experience at center. Regardless we're looking at an O line consisting of at least 4 new starters to protect a first time starting QB. Spring ball is going to be very very entertaining to see what transpires up front

Yea, there is a lot of positions up for grabs this Spring. It'll be fascinating to see what gets worked out and when. What gets pushed to Fall Camp? Are there positions that get locked down in the Spring?

Specifically talking about the OL, they have plenty of talented bodies to choose from so that's the positive. The negative is, it will undoubtedly take a season of reps for them to gel together. OL, as much as any position, is a position of repetition.

 

[Luckylucci]

I think Zeke and Patterson on the inside, Lugg probably better suited outside than inside? I’d like to see what Tosh Baker brings

Without seeing any reps from these young guys but knowing it's almost a full reboot of the OL, I'm thinking I want Baker as well.

He'll have 8-9 months of more physical training and work for that 22' best possible OL lineup which probably includes him.