Finally, Auburn’s starting O-line could be stellar

By Robert Rousseau  |   Thursday, June 18, 2009  |  Comments( 1 )

Auburn Tigers
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For the past couple of college football seasons, the Auburn Tigers have just not looked like themselves. First, the running game hasn't been as stellar as it usually is. Part of the problem has been an almost complete lack of passing ability that has allowed defenses to gear up for the run in a large way. That said, both the passing and running games have been impacted by the Tigers' difficulties on the offensive line. Smash-mouth football, particularly two years ago, has been completely lacking at Auburn. Pass blocking has also been a pretty consistent concern.

Perhaps those days are over, though.

The projected junior starters on the Auburn line entering this season are center Ryan Pugh, guards Mike Berry and Byron Isom, and tackle Lee Ziemba. The bottom line is that all of these guys are quite experienced, having started and/or played significant minutes over the course of the past two seasons. Moreover, Ziemba is a stud who has been a starter since he came to college. In addition, Berry is a highly talented and powerful player who was a four-star standout coming out of high school (started five games last season). Pugh was considered the third-best center in the entire nation coming out of high school, and he's proven that he deserved the praise by starting every game in 2008 and some in 2007. Though Isom was not as heralded when coming to the team, he still managed multiple starts last season.

The final projected starter in Andrew McCain, the only member of the quintet sans starting experience.

So, as everyone continues to focus on the lack of depth on the offensive line -- which certainly is a concern -- it's still important to note that Auburn's starters look terrific going into the season. With their old smash-mouth focus back with the new coaches, don't be surprised if Auburn's offensive line is considered one of the best in the SEC by the time the season ends.

That would be a welcome change for Auburn and its fans.
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About Robert Rousseau

Robert Rousseau is a sports writer that has been published in a variety of print and online venues. He’s been writing for RealFootball365.com for almost three years now. When Rousseau isn’t writing about college football he tends to be penning mixed martial arts pieces for MMAFighting.com or ...
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