The pressure lies on offensive line
By Brody Miller
brodmill@indiana.edu
During my senior year of high school, our star quarterback went down with a torn ACL. He was out for the rest of the regular season, and it became easy to lose hope.
This guy could do everything. Our whole offense ran through him.
Without a clear backup quarterback, we had to put the emphasis on the run game.
Every team knew we were running and game-planned accordingly.
If we wanted to make the playoffs, our offensive line would have to shoulder the load.
The Indiana Hoosiers are in an oddly similar situation.
With Nate Sudfeld out for the season and confusion surrounding who will be playing quarterback, teams are going to base their game plans on stopping the IU run game and pressing the inexperienced quarterbacks.
Opening up running lanes will be no easy task this weekend against Michigan State or any time in the near future.
Michigan State has one of the better rush defenses in the nation. They held Nebraska and their star running back, Ameer Abdullah, to 1.27 yards-per-carry.
Interestingly, Oregon was able to put up 4.33 YPC, and surprisingly Purdue ran for 5.16 YPC.
So will IU be able to run on the Spartans?
Pump the breaks there.
In those two games, both the Ducks and Boilermakers opened the game up passing the ball very successfully on the perimeter. They ran bubble screens and short sideline routes and were able to spread out the defense to manufacture running holes as the game continued.
That is the one big skill IU has lost.
The ability to accurately and, more importantly, safely pass the ball along the outside is a luxury the Hoosiers lost when Sudfeld went down against Iowa.
Chris Covington or Zander Diamont could always surprise us, but that style of passing is not the two freshmen’s area of expertise.
Therefore, Michigan State will most likely be able to load the box and stuff the IU run game. It will not matter how good Tevin Coleman or D’Angelo Roberts is unless the Hoosiers can develop openings for them.
A lot of pressure will be on that offensive line.
This is not a fair burden to carry and I do not think anyone will be blaming them if the run game struggles. It is just that the offensive line will have to play the game or games of their lives for this run game to be able to do its thing.
The best comparison I can remember was when the No.2-ranked 2007 Ducks lost quarterback Dennis Dixon for the rest of the season in the 10th game.
With Dixon, the Ducks had one of the best run games in football, averaging 5.55 YPC.
In the final two games without Dixon, they were held to 2.25 YPC and lost both games.
There needs to be a pass threat to be able to open up the run game. At least that is the case against quality defenses.
IU will also be facing one of the best pass rushes in college football against Michigan State. The Spartans have 22 sacks in six games.
The Hoosier offensive line has only allowed nine sacks this season, so it is possible they can buy some time for these young quarterbacks to find open targets.
This offensive front is one of the most experienced in the nation. They have nine guys who have started games in their careers.
It is an extremely talented front and, to be fair, they have been dealing with teams loading the box for the majority of the season and they have still opened things up for Coleman and Company.
The difference is that Sudfeld was still moving the ball through the air and keeping the defense somewhat honest.
Now, the Spartans can probably afford to put their cornerbacks on islands with the IU receivers and dare the Hoosier quarterbacks to throw it.
This will be a fascinating game to watch to see what the IU coaching staff attempts to do on offense.
Unfortunately for them, they will be experimenting against a defense that is, in my opinion, the best in the Big Ten.
My prediction: Michigan State romps IU 49-10.
