By: Doug Lesmerises (Cleveland Plain Dealer) —
I’ve been covering Ohio State football since the fall of 2005, and the first time since then that Jim Tressel lets reporters watch an entire practice, I’m talking to Michigan State’s Delvon Roe.

So while here at the Final Four in Detroit, I missed the insights gleaned Sunday at OSU practice, although I did talk to former NFL coach Steve Mariucci at Ford Field, if that counts.

After Ohio State’s practice, the offensive linemen were available for interviews – Bryant Browning and Jim Cordle as well as coach Jim Bollman – and Cordle said he has worked at both center and tackle so far this spring, at least according to the interviews I listened to at Ohio State’s website.

He said the line went through it’s most physical spring practice in his five years as a Buckeye, which should only be a good thing.

But there’s not a lot to know right now because guys are moving around so much. Cordle hopes the line is sort of settled by the end of spring, but that might be hard since J.B. Shugarts isn’t taking part in contact while coming back from surgery, and he should figure into that line competition.

In the meantime, I’m kind of getting to like the idea of Cordle at tackle.

To me, here were the two biggest problems with the offensive line last season.

* The tackles and tight ends getting beat on the edge by the pass rush.

* The interior part of the line getting blown up in the run game and letting Beanie Wells and the other running backs get hit in the backfield.

How do you solve the middle? By having Justin Boren starting at a guard spot, and that’s not going to change. That’s an upgrade, and that can not be underestimated. Boren wasn’t around to talk to reporters, but again, in some estimations he was Ohio State’s best lineman while sitting out a redshirt season last year. Also, you improve there by Mike Brewster having a year of experience at center. He’s talented. He has a little attitude. And I think it’s safe to assume a pretty big step up there. Also, I think I like Bryant Browning at guard better than I liked him at tackle, so that could work.

How do you solve the edge? By maybe putting a guy out there who’s not so massive. Cordle might be a little quicker than what Ohio State has seen at tackle recently. And he obviously knows what he’s doing as a fifth-year senior. So maybe Cordle at right tackle, with sophomores Mike Adams and Shugarts fighting at left tackle, with Andy Miller in that mix as well, could produce some results. Adams and Shugarts are still loaded with potential, and if they are the two starting tackles, they’ll have earned it.

Also, I still think there’s a chance fans might come around on Alex Boone a bit in his absence. He still plowed people in the run game, and Wells found success running behind that Boone-Steve Rehring wall on the left side at times.

So he might be missed, at least early in the season. But I think the guards and center should be better, almost without question. And Cordle might be the guy to make sure right tackle is improved as well.

By the way, we’ll be talking with the defensive line after practice on Tuesday, and I will be back in town for that. And since I missed practice, I’m assuming Tressel will invite me over for dinner to make up for it.

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