Tag: Joe Moore Award

Ohio State offensive line makes Joe Moore Midseason Honor Roll

Some good recognition for the guys paving the way in the trenches!

You always had a pretty good feeling that Ohio State’s offensive line would be a really good one in 2021. It did lose a couple of key members, but the returning players still had plenty of experience and talent. It was really just a question of which five to play and what position they would slot in.

And while there may have been some hiccups along the way, the line has indeed been downright dominant at times. In fact, so far in 2021, the OSU buffet eaters have only given up eight sacks in six games, have kept freshman quarterback C.J. Stroud pretty clean so that he can carve up defenses, and have opened up enough lanes for freshman running back TreVeyon Henderson to lead the FBS in yards per carry.

Not too shabby.

Because of the production, the OSU offensive line was named to the Joe Moore Midseason Honor Roll along with eighteen other teams. The award goes to the team judged to have the best offensive line in college football annually.

The rest of the teams can be seen below thanks to the announcement on Twitter.

There’s still half of a season to go, but so far so good for the guys wearing scarlet and gray in the trenches. If Ohio State is still going to meet some of those lofty goals it set for itself prior to the season, it’ll need this unit to continue to perform at a high, high level, especially with a back-loaded schedule that’s about to ramp up.

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Notre Dame Offensive Line Makes Joe Moore Midseason Honor Roll

Losing starting center Jarrett Patterson for the season has forced Notre Dame to make changes to its offensive line.

Losing starting center Jarrett Patterson for the season has forced Notre Dame to make changes to its offensive line. However, contributions from Patterson and the rest of that unit have not been lost on people. The Irish’s O-line has been named to this year’s Joe Moore Award Midseason Honor Roll. The award, which the Irish won in 2017, goes to the “toughest, most physical offensive line in the country.”

This is the second season in a row that Notre Dame’s unit has been so honored. It’s one of the most seasoned in the country with 147 collective starts between Patterson, Robert Hainsey, Liam Eichenberg, Tommy Kraemer and Aaron Banks. Four of these five players have been named ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week in 2020.

The Joe Moore Award is the only major college football award given to a group rather than an individual. If the Irish make the College Football Playoff, this unit will be a big reason why. Major props go to offensive line coach Jeff Quinn for keeping the group at the top of its game.

Why LSU guard Damien Lewis is good fit for Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks are a run-heavy, zone blocking offensive team, and LSU’s Damien Lewis is potentially the perfect fit at right guard.

The Seattle Seahawks made a point in free agency to bring in a new crop of offensive linemen, signing four new free agents while Germain Ifedi (Bears) and George Fant (Jets) signed elsewhere.

With Mike Iupati likely gone, and Justin Britt a potential cap casualty, this team may not be done shuffling things around in the trenches.

While the most pressing need is on the defensive line, the Seahawks will have their eye out for some big, run-blocking offensive linemen to pursue in the 2020 NFL draft, which is coming up in just two weeks.

One name to keep an eye on in LSU right guard Damien Lewis.

Lewis was second team All-SEC as a senior at LSU, helping the unit win the Joe Moore Award as the best OL in the country. He is a hulking presence who is known for his ability to move defenders backwards as a power run blocker.

Described as “a forklift dressed as a right guard” by NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein, Lewis would be an immediate fit on Seattle’s run-heavy offensive front, especially in zone blocking schemes.

However, Lewis is slow and heavy-footed in pass protection, and his lack of length limits him to just playing right guard at the next level, and really only in specific offensive sets.

That could work for the Seahawks though, especially if they decide to cut D.J. Fluker to save room against the salary cap.

Lewis could easily outperform his current draft stock, which has him as a third rounder in most mocks. He’d have his work cut out for him in Seattle’s crowded o-line room, but his skill set matches what the Seahawks need up front, and he’s a worthwhile selection on Day 2 of the NFL draft.

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Alabama Offensive Line one of four finalists for Joe Moore Award

On Tuesday, the Alabama Crimson Tide’s offensive line has been selected as one of the four finalists for the Joe Moore Award.

On Tuesday, the Alabama Crimson Tide’s offensive line has been selected as one of the four finalists for the Joe Moore Award. The Joe Moore Award is presented annually to the nation’s top offensive line unit, and is the only college football award to honor an entire unit.

Alabama’s offensive line has only allowed 12 sacks this season, which is currently ranked 5th in the nation. Alabama also ranks 2nd in the Nation for scoring, 3rd in passing, and 7th in total offense. Another statistic by the Championship Analytics (CAI) shares how the Crimson Tide also leads SEC and is 6th in the nation for having 45% of the team’s rushing attempts having 5+ yard gain or more.

The other finalists for the Joe Moore Award are: Ohio State, LSU, and Oregon.

Alabama won the first ever Joe Moore Award in 2015. The winner of the 2019 Joe Moore Award will be announced at the end of December.

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Ohio State offensive line semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award

The Ohio State offensive line has been named as one of ten semifinalists for the Joe Moore Award.

The Ohio State offensive line was just named one of ten semifinalists for the Joe Moore Award that goes to the best offensive line in college football annually. The award selects teams based on six criteria: Toughness, effort, teamwork, consistency, technique, and finishing. It has been handed out since 2015.

There’s good reason for Ohio State’s big guys to be included. Despite the O-line being a serious question mark heading into the year because of some key departures, the unit has meshed well together and has instead been a strength of this team in 2019.

Behind the run-blocking and pass protection of the Buckeye offensive line, OSU is No. 4 in FBS in yards per game, No. 1 in offensive 3rd down conversion percentage, No. 1 in scoring offense, and No. 4 in total offense. And while quarterback Justin Fields has been sacked more times than anyone would like, it has more to do with his desire to keep plays alive.

In fact, one telling stat of how clean the pocket has been kept, Fields has only thrown one interception to 31 passing touchdowns. Quite remarkable really.

The other nine semifinalists include Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin.

The finalists will be selected on December 10, and a winner selected shortly after.

Oklahoma offensive line a Joe Moore Award semifinalist

After losing four offensive linemen to the NFL last year, Oklahoma has been named one of the final ten candidates for the Joe Moore Award. 

After losing four offensive linemen to the NFL draft last year, Oklahoma’s offensive line unit, coached by Bill Bedenbaugh, has been named one of the final ten candidates for the Joe Moore Award.

Among the ten teams nominated for the best offensive line unit in the country are Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Ohio State, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin and the Sooners.

“There was healthy debate this year which required a thorough reexamination of game tape,” said Cole Cubelic, Chairman of the Joe Moore Award Voting Committee.  “This award matters to the O-line community and the voting committee doesn’t take that responsibility lightly.”

Oklahoma’s current offensive line unit helps the team average a league-high 581.1 yards per game, as well as 8.75 yards per play. The next closest is LSU at 7.64. Center Creed Humphrey is the only returning starter from last season, as Tyrese Robinson, Adrian Ealy, R.J. Proctor, Marquis Hayes and Erik Swenson have all gotten valuable minutes in this year.

“As the season winds down, performances in the ‘gotta have it’ moments over the next couple of weeks should reveal all we need to know about which of these units is the Most Outstanding Offensive Line Unit in college football.” Said Aaron Taylor, co-founder of the Joe Moore Award.

The Sooners “gotta have it” moment could have very well been their 25-point comeback win over Baylor, when the offensive unit gained 525 yards, a majority of which came in the second half.

The finalists for the award with be announced on December 10, and the winner will be made public with a visit to the winning campus’s university.