By: Zack Meisel (Buy Cipro Online target=”_blank”>TheLantern.com via Yahoo Sports) —
COLUMBUS, Ohio—How does a football team improve an offense that lost seven starters and was held without a touchdown in two of its three losses a year ago?

During spring practices, trial-and-error seems to have been the most effective route to composing a new group of Ohio State linemen, backs and receivers, said offensive coordinator Jim Bollman.

AP Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, center, times a kick drill during Sunday’s practice at Ohio Stadium. Members of the offensive line stand in the background. The offensive line was a major area of concern last season and is going through a change in personnel.

“We’re doing a lot of shuffling around to try to find the right mix of guys,” he said. “It’s always the secret of trying to find out what your guys can do and tailor it to what your people can do.”
In addition to replacing running back Chris “Beanie” Wells and starting receivers Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline, Bollman and coach Jim Tressel must patch together an offensive line from a mix of veterans and unproven commodities.

The only senior expected to contribute, Jim Cordle, played center and guard last year. Now the coaches are experimenting with him at tackle. No matter his position, Cordle just wants to be a part of the best possible line on the field.

“I’ve played center the longest,” he said. “I did a pretty good job at guard, and guard is probably harder to play than center. Wherever the best lineup is, that’s where I’ll play.”

Initial depth charts place sophomore Mike Brewster at center, with juniors Bryant Browning and Justin Boren at the guard spots, and sophomore Mike Adams teaming with Cordle at the tackle positions.

“I haven’t even really learned the tackle position yet,” Cordle said. “I played guard last year. Heck, maybe they’ll even put me out at tight end.”

OSU’s offensive line has received plenty of criticism the past few years, as inconsistency has plagued the Buckeyes’ offensive attack. Browning said the line maximized its potential last year, despite the scrutiny.

“We fought hard,” he said. “We had a lot of seniors who knew it was their last year, so they left it all on the line. The younger guys knew that it was our seniors’ last year, so we couldn’t slack off. We gave it our best shot, and we did what we could do.”

Cordle’s patience with last season’s underperforming line was wearing thin, but this year’s bunch possesses the talent to excel, and it’s already showing during spring practices, he said.

“It’s starting to get to me, because I haven’t been on a line that’s played well,” he said. “That’s what we’re trying to do. It starts with the attitude, so we’re going through a lot tougher practices this spring than I can remember. A lot more contact, a lot more live plays. We’re rotating around trying to find the best lineup.”

Bollman has stressed a more physical style of play in his new set of linemen. The coach emphasized how strong play up front can make life easier for the members of the backfield.

“We want to try to finish plays better. We want to control the line of scrimmage more, in both run and pass, and give the other guys a chance to do their jobs,” Bollman said. “When you give the running backs a little room to maneuver at the line of scrimmage, or you give the quarterback that little extra split second of time, things are always going to work out.”

In recent years, Bollman has been able to rely on veterans to lead the attack at the line of scrimmage. But because Alex Boone and Steve Rehring graduated, Cordle hopes to anchor the young line with his experience and senior leadership.

“It’s exciting going into my senior year; there are so many things to look forward to,” he said. “I’m trying to step up into that role and lead these guys and get the offense going.”

Cordle said the key to an improved offense is all a matter of putting the new pieces together on the line.

“The talent is there,” he said. “If we can come together as a unit, come together as a team, the talent is there with unlimited potential.”

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