2010 CFN Preview - Unit Rankings, Off. Lines

CFN 2010 Preview Unit Rankings from top to bottom - Offensive Lines

Preview 2010 - Unit Rankings

Offensive Lines

2010 CFN Preseason Rankings
- 1 to 5 | 6 to 10 | 11 to 20 | 21 to 30 | 31 to 40 | 41 to 50 | 51 to 60
- 61 to 70 | 71 to 80 | 81 to 90 | 91 to 100 | 101 to 110 | 111 to 120
- CFN Preseason Rankings 2009 | 2008 | 2007

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CFN 2010 Unit Rankings
- Offenses | Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Receivers | Offensive Lines
- Defenses | Defensive Lines | Linebackers | Secondaries  | Special Teams

1. Georgia
Offensive line coach Stacy Searels has an embarrassment of riches to work with. If this isn’t the nation’s best offensive line, it’ll be in the top three if, and it’s a huge, glaring if, everyone stays healthy. Fortunately, the adversity of the past few years has led to enough versatility among several key players to allow the coaching staff to move the pieces around when needed without much of a drop-off. It would be nice, though, to see what this group could do when everyone is right. Even so, this is a special group that will make life easier for the new starting quarterback. If Trinton Sturdivant is 100% and he’s a backup, the line is going to be amazing. Even with some shuffling and some early problems, the line was a brick wall in pass protection allowing just 12 sacks on the year. There are two sure-thing all-stars in Clint Boling and Ben Jones, and Chris Davis and Cordy Glenn aren’t far off.

2. Florida State
Having built for this moment over the past few seasons, Florida State is on the verge of rolling out one of its best offensive lines in school history. Not only is Rodney Hudson an all-time great leading a line returning five starters, but ace line coach Rick Trickett is getting on board for his third season. The ‘Noles won’t maul opponents, but they’ll protect the pocket, pull in an instant, and make a ton of blocks way downfield.

3. Wisconsin
If everyone is healthy, not a given, the UW line should be among the best in America. The starters are huge, experienced, and talented, and the backups are huge and talented. The pass protection could stand to be better (UW is ALWAYS overrated when it comes to protecting the passer), but this should be one of the team’s strongest units and it should dominate at times. This could be the best Badger line in over a decade.

4. Oregon
Go ahead and continue heaping praise on assistant Steve Greatwood, who once again did a fantastic job with this crew. Oregon has rebuilt on the fly up front and now boasts one of the nation’s sturdiest front walls. Even without a bona fide star, this unit proves that the whole is indeed greater than the sum of its parts. Chemistry is the most underrated aspect of an offensive line, and the Ducks are flush with it. Not only are all five starters back, but that group combined to miss just two starts throughout 2009, and Darrion Weems and Nick Cody also return. There’s a level of continuity here that few schools in America can match.

5. Alabama
Two starters have to be replaced, but it’s business as usual. James Carpenter is going to be an All-American, William Vlachos is a rock in the middle, and Barrett Jones will get some all-star honors. Before their time is up, D.J. Fluker, Chance Warmack, and Tyler Love will all be All-SEC performers. There’s depth, versatility, and lots and lots of talent.

6. Florida
With four returning starters, promising depth (even if several backups are banged up), and excellent talent from a line that was great for the ground game, the potential is there for a big year. However, this isn’t exactly a front five geared toward pass protection, and it showed last year by allowing way too many sacks (28) and it could be a bit of an issue this year with John Brantley under center. This should be one of the SEC’s best lines if it can keep Brantley from getting earholed.

7. Boston College
It’s a new year, but the Boston College line remains the same old picture of stability that it’s always been. With three senior starters vying for all-star honors, the Eagles will dominate the line of scrimmage at times this fall and put forth one of the nastiest front walls in the ACC. There isn’t a lot of finesse within a group that aims to bloody your nose. The Eagles are big, nasty, and physically imposing, averaging 6-6 and north of 300 pounds along the starting unit.

8. Missouri
All-star guard Kurtis Gregory is gone, but everyone else is back from a line that was good last year in pass protection, but wasn’t strong enough on a consistent basis for the ground game. There are plenty of talented players about to emerge as stars, and even though this is a veteran bunch, there’s only one senior starter with four juniors manning the other four spots. As always, the Mizzou line will be a plus. The Tigers allowed just 20 sacks in 467 pass attempts, and they should be even better with Elvis Fisher and Dan Hoch back on the outside. They’ll give up sacks here and there, but they’re steady bookends to work around.

9. Ohio State
The line has been fine over the last few seasons, but it hasn’t been special. It’s good for stretches and it has been good enough for the running game, but the pass protection has been mediocre and this hasn’t played like a line that can lead the way to a national title. This year, though, with four returning starters, more talent among the backups just waiting for a chance to get on the field, and an all-star interior with Justin Boren, Bryant Browning, and very soon, Mike Brewster, this could end up being the best line in the Big Ten (or No. 2 just behind the Wisconsin front five).

10. USC
Obviously, USC has recruited this position exceedingly well forever, but how will young kids, like Khaled Holmes, Ryan Kalil, and Kevin Graf, adapt to expanded roles? If everyone comes together and stays healthy, the Trojans are capable of dominating. The Trojans have the talent and the edict from the new staff that this team is going to run the ball with more authority and physicality this fall. When healthy, they have enough size and proven veterans to move teams off the ball and create daylight for the gifted backs.

COULD EASILY BE IN TOP TEN

Arizona	Pac 10
Auburn	SEC
Connecticut	Big East
Mississippi State	SEC
Nebraska	Big 12
Stanford	Pac 10
TCU	M-West

SOLID, WILL BE A POSITIVE
 

Arkansas	SEC
Boise State	WAC
BYU	M-West
California	Pac 10
Clemson	ACC
Fresno State	WAC
Illinois	Big Ten
Iowa	Big Ten
Iowa State	Big 12
Kansas State	Big 12
LSU	SEC
Miami	ACC
Michigan	Big Ten
Michigan State	Big Ten
Northwestern	Big Ten
Oklahoma	Big 12
Oklahoma State	Big 12
Ole Miss	SEC
Oregon State	Pac 10
Penn State	Big Ten
Pitt	Big East
South Florida	Big East
Texas	Big 12
Utah	M-West
Virginia Tech	ACC
West Virginia	Big East

AVERAGE

Arizona State	Pac 10
Army	Ind
Central Michigan	MAC
Cincinnati	Big East
Colorado	Big 12
East Carolina	C-USAE
Georgia Tech	ACC
Indiana	Big Ten
Kansas	Big 12
Kentucky	SEC
Louisiana Tech	WAC
Louisville	Big East
Minnesota	Big Ten
Navy	Ind
Nevada	WAC
North Carolina	ACC
North Texas	Sun Belt
Northern Illinois	MAC
Notre Dame	Ind
Purdue	Big Ten
Rutgers	Big East
Syracuse	Big East
Temple	MAC
Tennessee	SEC
Texas A&M	Big 12
Texas Tech	Big 12
Toledo	MAC
UCLA	Pac 10
UNLV	M-West
Vanderbilt	SEC
Wake Forest	ACC
Washington	Pac 10

NEEDS WORK

Air Force	M-West
Baylor	Big 12
Buffalo	MAC
Duke	ACC
Houston	C-USAW
Marshall	C-USAE
Maryland	ACC
Memphis	C-USAE
Middle Tennessee	Sun Belt
NC State	ACC
San Diego State	M-West
South Carolina	SEC
UL Lafayette	Sun Belt
UTEP	C-USAW
Virginia	ACC
Western Michigan	MAC

 
A PROBLEM

Akron	MAC
Arkansas State	Sun Belt
Ball State	MAC
Bowling Green	MAC
Colorado State	M-West
Idaho	WAC
Kent State	MAC
New Mexico State	WAC
Ohio	MAC
SMU	C-USAW
Troy	Sun Belt
Tulane	C-USAW
Tulsa	C-USAW
UAB	C-USAE
UCF	C-USAE
UL Monroe	Sun Belt
Utah State	WAC
Washington State	Pac 10
Western Kentucky	Sun Belt

THE BOTTOM TEN

Eastern Michigan	MAC
FIU	Sun Belt
Florida Atlantic	Sun Belt
Hawaii	WAC
Miami Univ.	MAC
New Mexico	M-West
Rice	C-USAW
San Jose State	WAC
Southern Miss	C-USAE
Wyoming	M-West

CFN 2010 Unit Rankings
- Offenses | Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Receivers | Offensive Lines
- Defenses | Defensive Lines | Linebackers | Secondaries  | Special Teams

2010 CFN Preseason Rankings
- 1 to 5 | 6 to 10 | 11 to 20 | 21 to 30 | 31 to 40 | 41 to 50 | 51 to 60
- 61 to 70 | 71 to 80 | 81 to 90 | 91 to 100 | 101 to 110 | 111 to 120
- CFN Preseason Rankings 2009 | 2008 | 2007