| The glamour position of football is the | | | | With this contingent, the head coach and his |
| quarterback, followed by running backs. These are | | | | offensive staff will try to build around these |
| the players that get all the love (and hate) and | | | | players before heading into conference action. |
| pub from the media, fans and football bettors. | | | | These behemoths are being counted on to open |
| However, longtime college football announcer Keith | | | | holes and keep the opposition off new |
| Jackson and every football coach that ever | | | | quarterbacks. These large fellas actually have a |
| walked the sidelines above peewee level knows it | | | | great deal of pressure on them as opponents will |
| all starts up front, as Jackson used to say, with | | | | game plan to have more defensive players at the |
| the "Big UgliAn offense line can set the pace of a | | | | line of scrimmage to create chaos with blocking |
| game, running the ball down opposing teams' | | | | assignments and to confuse new field general or |
| throats by opening chasms Levi Johnson and is | | | | make backs less instinctive when carrying the |
| temptress could walk thru hand and hand. The | | | | pigskin. |
| same would also be true in the passing game, | | | | Memphis and Kansas have new head coaches, |
| providing the accomplished quarterback time to | | | | lending itself to period of adjustment for new |
| answer email, plus update Facebook and Twitter | | | | blocking schemes. The rest of the squads will |
| pages. | | | | have to set the tone for the makings of a |
| The opposite could also be true of the college | | | | successful season and earn the trust of those |
| football teams that are rebuilding offensive lines | | | | following football betting lines. |
| due to graduation or defection. A talented | | | | The next patch is teams with only one lineman |
| quarterback may be taking his life into his own | | | | having starting experience from a year ago. A |
| hands trying to avoid the onslaught of defenders | | | | smart quarterback's knowledge of the offense |
| (see Jimmy Clausen tape at Notre Dame), to look | | | | and ability to hit open receivers proficiently can |
| downfield to complete a pass. What about the | | | | take some of the pressure off until this unit gels. |
| star running back who needs a compass to run | | | | Vanderbilt, Southern Miss, Kentucky and Hawaii all |
| north and south, since there are no holes to run | | | | fit the aforementioned situation, with the Golden |
| thru and becomes accustomed to bouncing | | | | Eagles from Hattiesburg, MS having the best |
| everything outside. | | | | opportunity to prosper with the quarterback duo |
| In the rest of this article, we'll look what teams | | | | of Austin Davis and Martevious Young being able |
| have the most and fewest returning offensive | | | | to chuck the ball to 6'6 DeAndre Brown, C-USA's |
| linemen and what impact that could have on their | | | | finest pure pass catcher. Coach Larry Fedora is |
| universities upcoming season and for those betting | | | | offensive-minded and has the best chance for |
| on football. | | | | achieving success with somewhat limited options. |
| The best place to start is teams that have all five | | | | Bobby Johnson resigned at Vanderbilt just last |
| O-linemen back along with their starting | | | | month, making a prickly predicament that much |
| quarterback. | | | | worse and Joker Phillips will quickly learn that |
| Ball State | | | | lacking experience in the offensive line is no joke |
| Colorado | | | | in the SEC. |
| Florida State | | | | That brings us to Air Force and Florida Atlantic, |
| Fresno State | | | | who have no O-Linemen that started the |
| Louisiana Tech | | | | majority of games a year ago. Though hardly |
| Minnesota | | | | ideal, the Air Force and all military universities face |
| South Florida | | | | a somewhat similar issue most years. Unless a |
| Wisconsin | | | | linemen ends up being unusually skilled (which is |
| Specifically, the Seminoles and Badgers are | | | | unlikely since they could go somewhere else and |
| expected to be teams not only competing for the | | | | just play football), few underclassman play early in |
| top of their respective conferences, but also | | | | their careers. The zone blocking scheme the Air |
| nationally. Guard Rodney Hudson for Florida State | | | | Force employs is more about cohesiveness than |
| and tackle Gabe Carimi at Wisconsin, are on | | | | blowing somebody up across the line of |
| virtually everyone's first team All-American list. | | | | scrimmage. Plus, the Flyboys have two good |
| Wisky's John Moffitt is believed to be no worse | | | | quarterbacks for their offense, each with a |
| than the third best guard in the country. | | | | different skill set to help offset having five |
| Colorado's offense should be further improved | | | | newbies that will block for them. Nonetheless, it |
| this upcoming campaign and Fresno State's | | | | might pay to watch this team in September as |
| pounding running game should create more havoc | | | | play against BYU, at Oklahoma and at Wyoming |
| on the WAC. | | | | and watch the stats to see if the Falcons come |
| New coaching staffs are in place in South Florida | | | | together quickly. |
| and Louisiana Tech, which could see the shifting of | | | | It might be long season for Florida Atlantic. |
| players up front, making improvement less | | | | Technically, the Owls don't have returning starting |
| certain. Ball State and Minnesota might have all | | | | QB, however senior Jeff Van Camp was forced |
| these individuals back, but that doesn't mean they | | | | to play the last five games due to injury of |
| were that good to begin with. Collectively, this | | | | decorated Rusty Smith. However, around him are |
| entire group is worth following. | | | | five fresh faces in the line and five of top six |
| The next grouping is five offensive linemen back, | | | | pass catchers have graduated. |
| with a different starting signal caller. | | | | When the bowl season comes around, invariably |
| Georgia | | | | the talk of commentators will turn to "the |
| Kansas | | | | offensive line carried this team for much of the |
| Memphis | | | | year" or "this club failed to meet expectations |
| Northwestern | | | | because the offensive line didn't block as |
| Oregon | | | | presumed". Use this information as a good starting |
| Rice | | | | point for the upcoming college football season. |
