Offensive Line Depth Will Give Iowa State Cyclones a Massive Edge Coming out of Bye

The Iowa State Cyclones offensive line is going to be a major asset.

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This week was an important one for the Iowa State Cyclones despite being idle and not having a game to play.

The bye week provided them a chance to reset after their incredible 4-0 start to the campaign. This is far from a finished product, but the positives have outweighed the negatives. It will also provide the team with much-needed rest after a daunting first four games.

Iowa State started their season in Ireland, facing off aginast the Kansas State Wildcats. Consecutive games were played in Ames at Jack Trice Stadium against the South Dakota Coyotes and Iowa Hawkeyes after that. Finally, they traveled for their first true road game of the year to face off against the Arkansas State Red Wolves.

A 4-0 record is nothing to sneeze at. But there are areas of the team that could improve. That is what makes this past week of practice so important. Head coach Matt Campbell and his staff will have the opportunity to evaluate things and figure out where adjustments can be made. Some lineup changes could be on the horizon to raise the ceiling of the team.

Iowa State's Offensive Line Building Quality Depth

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One positional group to keep an eye on is the offensive line. Football games are won in the trenches, and the Cyclones are going to have an opportunity to create quite an advantage for themselves in this key area. With Trevor Buhr working his way back into the lineup, quality depth is compounding.

After receiving a mononucleosis diagnosis just days before the Kansas State game, Buhr had the start of his season delayed. The matchup against Arkansas State was his first time on the field. You would not have known it with how well he performed.

Getting his feet wet, he came off the bench and was sprinkled into the lineup throughout the game. He was fantastic, receiving an overall grade of 78.9 from PFF, the highest amongst all the offensive linemen on the team. Out of the 23 snaps he played, 14 were run blocking and nine were passing blocking.

Buhr excelled at both. His 78.2 run blocking grade and 80.3 pass blocking grade were both first on the team. He didn’t allow a single pressure in the game and showed off some versatility. 16 snaps were logged at left guard and seven were at right guard. He was not flagged for a penalty, either.

Trevor Buhr Can Elevate Iowa State's Offensive Line Play

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Working his way back into game shape, his role should continue increasing as the season moves along. A projected starter in spring and summer practices, getting Buhr back up to speed will improve what was already a strong Iowa State interior offensive line. Rotating with right guard Brendan Black and left guard Dylan Barrett will benefit everyone.

A three-game rotation will help keep all of them fresh throughout what Iowa State is hoping is a long season. Getting into the Big 12 championship game and College Football Playoff could turn a 12-game season into at least 14 games. If they can advance in the CFP, as many as four total games could be played, depending on where they land in the seeding.

To make that kind of run, players need to be as healthy as possible. Working Buhr into the mix more will help ensure the offensive line is good to go later in the campaign.