Ohio State Offensive Line Delivers Best Performance of the Season

Statistically speaking, Justin Fields was more well-protected against Clemson than any other game this year. The team also had a season-high in total offense.

The Ohio State offensive line has garnered a lot of attention in the last few weeks, for two reasons.

First, they've been the position group hardest hit by CoVID-19 and they've had their depth tested in a major way.

Second, despite all of those setbacks, they've been a major asset in Ohio State's efforts to win a national championship.

The Buckeyes are averaging 545 yards of total offense per game this year, scoring more than 43 points per night. Against Clemson, it was a 639-yard outburst that led to seven touchdowns and a rout of the No. 2 ranked team in America. And for that, the offensive line deserves a ton of credit.

Consider this nugget, from Pro Football Focus writer Seth Galina.

Cumulatively, this was the Buckeyes' highest-graded game for pass protection at 81.6. They allowed five pressures on 34 pass-blocking plays. Against Brent Venables' famous blitz package, they only allowed two pressures on 10 blitzes. The offensive line kept Fields upright, which was important after he sustained what looked to be a potential game-ending injury.

So in the most pressure-packed, highly anticipated game of the season, against a defense known for being aggressive and forcing you to play the way they want to play, offensive line coach Greg Studrawa's unit had its best game of the season. They are a huge part of helping Justin Fields piece together what I believe was the most impressive single-game individual performance in Ohio State football history, to date.

Wyatt Davis spoke about the depth they've developed (video above), while Josh Myers references the culture within his position group as a big reason for their success (video below).

As the Buckeyes prepare for Alabama and a national championship game appearance, they will undoubtedly need to lean on their offensive line one more time. The team has made it clear - for as happy as they were to beat Clemson, their goal is to win the national title. In a season unlike any in college football history, they've got a chance to write one of the great sports stories ever told.

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