Howdy Lions! I got locked in at home here in Texas due to Tropical Storm Bill yesterday and decided to do another deep analysis for y'all while we waited out the storm. Enjoy!
When James Franklin arrived at Penn State he inherited an "Inexperienced Offensive Line" from the Bill O'Brien era, as we like to call them. His line would start one departing Senior/Jr, Donovan Smith who had 2 seasons starting under his belt. Angelo Mangiro, (Senior/Jr), had limited playing time before the 2014 season and the rest of the Line included Brandon Mahon (Sophomore/Fr), Brian Gaia (Junior/So) and Andrew Nelson (Sophomore/Fr). They averaged 6'4", 310.8lbs.
Ohio State in the 2014 season put out an OL that lead them to win the National Championship and averaged 6'4", 303.8 lbs. This included a Senior, 2 Juniors, a Sophomore and a Freshman. Sound familiar? Their linemen combined together for 21 starts in their career before last season.
Penn State in 2014 came in with 20 career starts to their offensive line's credit (all to Donovan Smith).
So what about scouting rankings?
Penn State Starters: Ohio State Starters
Donovan Smith - 4* Taylor Decker - 4*
Brandon Mahon - 4* Bill Pine - 4*
Angelo Mangiro - 3* Jacob Boren - 3*
Brian Gaia - 3* Pat Elflein - 3*
Andrew Nelson - 3* Darryl Baldwin - 3*
The talent level seems to be the same on paper, Penn State boasted 1 less career start, both lines averaged 6'4" and Penn State actually had about 8lbs on the Buckeyes for total line weight. So what gives?
Now you might say that both teams were pretty much equal (Top QBs, great defenses, similar OLs) hence the 2OT game in 2014. I will agree that these teams were very similar. So why then did Ohio State dominate in the second half of the season through to winning the National Championship while Penn State squeaked by?
To start let's get the obvious difference out of the way. Coaching is always a major factor here (play calling especially and understanding of the system) as well as having a very mobile QB who is able to extend plays with his feet. Franklin was in season 1 while Meyer was in season 3 and no one can say that Hack can compare in anyway to Braxton, Barrett or Jones when it comes to scrambling. Hack can scramble a bit, but he's not a threat to break one for 70 yards like Ohio State. I'd take Hack's arm over their arms any day. The scrambling QB brings more LBers into the box especially with Ezekiel Elliott next to the QB and all of a sudden your WRs are 1 on 1 all game long hence their success throwing as well, but you need the line to give him time and open those holes.
Also, Ezekiel Elliott was unreal at RB for the Buckeyes compared to our "Who is behind Hack now?" RB by committee rotation of a converted WR in Belton with a hard nose RB in Zwinak and a shifty Lynch. With no consistency behind them our OL seemed confused at times, missing assignments, blocking each other and just being down right beat. I think it is definitely fair to say that a 3 RB rotation with 3 different styles is not a recipe for success with an "inexperienced OL", but there are some real numbers here that we can analyze that may show a big difference between these two "inexperienced OLs".
We all know that championships are won in the trenches. You need to have a solid rotation with big powerful men on the OL who can give your RB a push and your QB time to throw, but they need time to rest and tap out when needed. Here lies a major difference between Penn State and Ohio State.
James Franklin inherited the 2014 recruiting class from Bill O'Brien. So because he had a role in that class we'll start analyzing the classes before his arrival. Let's look at 2010-2013. 14 Offensive linemen were recruited in this time period. These OL recruits averaged a height of 76.9" with an average rating of 3.2* per player.
During the same time period Ohio State from 2010-2013 recruited 12 offensive linemen with an average height of 77.34" and an average rating of 3.75* per player.
The height difference is minimal here for now, but the average star ranking is quite substantial. There is a very big difference between 3* and 4* OL in my opinion when it comes to raw talent.
The only argument most people put forward is, Sandusky hurt us. Maybe it did hurt us a bit, but in that same time period we recruited more talent than Wisconsin to our OL....(Wisconsin's classes averaged 2.92* from 2010-2013). The same Wisconsin that is always chalked up as having the biggest and best OL in the country.
So can we really continue to make the excuse that "youth" or "inexperience" was the main factor to our lack of success on the OL, when we compare ourselves to Ohio State considering their "inexperience" led them to win the National Championship?
Recruiting Recruiting Recruiting
This question intrigues me because the new coaching staff has put forward a ton of effort into recruiting high quality Offensive Linemen since they arrived at Penn State. Since James Franklin arrived, he and his staff have received commitments from 11 offensive linemen including the 2016 class. They average 78.1" with no player coming in under 6'4" and four players standing 6'7" or taller. Compared to the 76.9" average of the previous four classes. They also average 3.54* compared to the 3.2* average of the previous classes.
Meanwhile at Ohio State their 2014-2016 OL classes include 14 commitments with an average height of 77.35" and an average rating of 3.79*. They are getting bigger and better, but we are closing the gap.
We will have the talent to compete and build out a rotation that brings in high quality starter after high quality starter. This is a huge factor for success. A strong rotation of 10-12 Offensive Linemen who can all play at a high level will give our boys time to breath in games and step in when someone goes down, which is always inevitable. The days of converted Defensive Linemen to O-Linemen are over and guys who have grown up their whole lives as OL players will be stepping in. Ohio State may have had an inexperienced line going into the 2014 season, but their raw talent and depth behind them was a major factor into their improved success over the season.
In a nut shell, Ohio State and Penn State were both inexperienced on the offensive line last year. They were both young, but the talent and rotation behind the starters shows a massive gap between the two schools. I'm glad that the new staff has recognized that to compete and protect our quarterback we had to get better and bigger. As the talent continues to climb so will our ability to compete with Ohio State. Raw talent is a major factor in the trenches. We can only hope that Coach Hand is as good of a coach as he is recruiter and tweeter and that he will develop our future linemen into monsters up front. It is very possible that Penn State could put out an OL that averages 6'7", 320lbs and 4* across the line in 2 years. With Jake Zembiec and stud RBs on their way, Penn State could be gearing up for a special run in 2017/2018.
Happy Thursday from a now sunny Texas. Go State. Beat Owls. Feel free to send suggestions for my next analysis.
When James Franklin arrived at Penn State he inherited an "Inexperienced Offensive Line" from the Bill O'Brien era, as we like to call them. His line would start one departing Senior/Jr, Donovan Smith who had 2 seasons starting under his belt. Angelo Mangiro, (Senior/Jr), had limited playing time before the 2014 season and the rest of the Line included Brandon Mahon (Sophomore/Fr), Brian Gaia (Junior/So) and Andrew Nelson (Sophomore/Fr). They averaged 6'4", 310.8lbs.
Ohio State in the 2014 season put out an OL that lead them to win the National Championship and averaged 6'4", 303.8 lbs. This included a Senior, 2 Juniors, a Sophomore and a Freshman. Sound familiar? Their linemen combined together for 21 starts in their career before last season.
Penn State in 2014 came in with 20 career starts to their offensive line's credit (all to Donovan Smith).
So what about scouting rankings?
Penn State Starters: Ohio State Starters
Donovan Smith - 4* Taylor Decker - 4*
Brandon Mahon - 4* Bill Pine - 4*
Angelo Mangiro - 3* Jacob Boren - 3*
Brian Gaia - 3* Pat Elflein - 3*
Andrew Nelson - 3* Darryl Baldwin - 3*
The talent level seems to be the same on paper, Penn State boasted 1 less career start, both lines averaged 6'4" and Penn State actually had about 8lbs on the Buckeyes for total line weight. So what gives?
Now you might say that both teams were pretty much equal (Top QBs, great defenses, similar OLs) hence the 2OT game in 2014. I will agree that these teams were very similar. So why then did Ohio State dominate in the second half of the season through to winning the National Championship while Penn State squeaked by?
To start let's get the obvious difference out of the way. Coaching is always a major factor here (play calling especially and understanding of the system) as well as having a very mobile QB who is able to extend plays with his feet. Franklin was in season 1 while Meyer was in season 3 and no one can say that Hack can compare in anyway to Braxton, Barrett or Jones when it comes to scrambling. Hack can scramble a bit, but he's not a threat to break one for 70 yards like Ohio State. I'd take Hack's arm over their arms any day. The scrambling QB brings more LBers into the box especially with Ezekiel Elliott next to the QB and all of a sudden your WRs are 1 on 1 all game long hence their success throwing as well, but you need the line to give him time and open those holes.
Also, Ezekiel Elliott was unreal at RB for the Buckeyes compared to our "Who is behind Hack now?" RB by committee rotation of a converted WR in Belton with a hard nose RB in Zwinak and a shifty Lynch. With no consistency behind them our OL seemed confused at times, missing assignments, blocking each other and just being down right beat. I think it is definitely fair to say that a 3 RB rotation with 3 different styles is not a recipe for success with an "inexperienced OL", but there are some real numbers here that we can analyze that may show a big difference between these two "inexperienced OLs".
We all know that championships are won in the trenches. You need to have a solid rotation with big powerful men on the OL who can give your RB a push and your QB time to throw, but they need time to rest and tap out when needed. Here lies a major difference between Penn State and Ohio State.
James Franklin inherited the 2014 recruiting class from Bill O'Brien. So because he had a role in that class we'll start analyzing the classes before his arrival. Let's look at 2010-2013. 14 Offensive linemen were recruited in this time period. These OL recruits averaged a height of 76.9" with an average rating of 3.2* per player.
During the same time period Ohio State from 2010-2013 recruited 12 offensive linemen with an average height of 77.34" and an average rating of 3.75* per player.
The height difference is minimal here for now, but the average star ranking is quite substantial. There is a very big difference between 3* and 4* OL in my opinion when it comes to raw talent.
The only argument most people put forward is, Sandusky hurt us. Maybe it did hurt us a bit, but in that same time period we recruited more talent than Wisconsin to our OL....(Wisconsin's classes averaged 2.92* from 2010-2013). The same Wisconsin that is always chalked up as having the biggest and best OL in the country.
So can we really continue to make the excuse that "youth" or "inexperience" was the main factor to our lack of success on the OL, when we compare ourselves to Ohio State considering their "inexperience" led them to win the National Championship?
Recruiting Recruiting Recruiting
This question intrigues me because the new coaching staff has put forward a ton of effort into recruiting high quality Offensive Linemen since they arrived at Penn State. Since James Franklin arrived, he and his staff have received commitments from 11 offensive linemen including the 2016 class. They average 78.1" with no player coming in under 6'4" and four players standing 6'7" or taller. Compared to the 76.9" average of the previous four classes. They also average 3.54* compared to the 3.2* average of the previous classes.
Meanwhile at Ohio State their 2014-2016 OL classes include 14 commitments with an average height of 77.35" and an average rating of 3.79*. They are getting bigger and better, but we are closing the gap.
We will have the talent to compete and build out a rotation that brings in high quality starter after high quality starter. This is a huge factor for success. A strong rotation of 10-12 Offensive Linemen who can all play at a high level will give our boys time to breath in games and step in when someone goes down, which is always inevitable. The days of converted Defensive Linemen to O-Linemen are over and guys who have grown up their whole lives as OL players will be stepping in. Ohio State may have had an inexperienced line going into the 2014 season, but their raw talent and depth behind them was a major factor into their improved success over the season.
In a nut shell, Ohio State and Penn State were both inexperienced on the offensive line last year. They were both young, but the talent and rotation behind the starters shows a massive gap between the two schools. I'm glad that the new staff has recognized that to compete and protect our quarterback we had to get better and bigger. As the talent continues to climb so will our ability to compete with Ohio State. Raw talent is a major factor in the trenches. We can only hope that Coach Hand is as good of a coach as he is recruiter and tweeter and that he will develop our future linemen into monsters up front. It is very possible that Penn State could put out an OL that averages 6'7", 320lbs and 4* across the line in 2 years. With Jake Zembiec and stud RBs on their way, Penn State could be gearing up for a special run in 2017/2018.
Happy Thursday from a now sunny Texas. Go State. Beat Owls. Feel free to send suggestions for my next analysis.
