Who has the biggest offensive line in the Big Ten? Where does Rutgers rank?

Rutgers football has one of the biggest offensive lines in the Big Ten.

The Big Ten has some big offensive lines, with the margin of size perhaps bigger than one might expect.

Having run weight totals for projected offensive lines in the Big Ten, JR’s Rankings found that Penn State has the biggest offensive line in the conference at 1,590 pounds. That means the average Nittany Lion starter along the offensive line checks in at 318 pounds.

This adds up to a size advantage of over 20 pounds per offensive lineman when compared to Purdue at 1,490 pounds (298 pounds per offensive lineman, on average).

In what might be a surprise to many, Rutgers tied Illinois for third in the list. Both programs have a projected offensive line weight of 1,565 pounds or 313 pounds per offensive lineman.

Why does this matter? Well, the size of the offensive line is often indicative of the strength and power the unit can bring to the trenches. Of course, players must still be athletic and mobile, but having a big offensive line means that the individual players and the group as a whole can’t be overpowered as easily.

 

But as the rankings show, the biggest offensive line doesn’t necessarily equate to wins and losses.

Michigan, who won the Big Ten’s championship last year, checks in at a seventh in the Big Ten with a cumulative weight of 1,555 pounds or 311 pounds on average. Ohio State, who like Michigan made the College Football Playoff last year, was sixth at 1,557 pounds.

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