Boston College at Notre Dame: 5 Big Questions
By Joe Micik
3. Is BC’s offensive line going to improve any time soon?
This year? No. Should it have done so this year? Yes.
We hear so much about “youth” on this team, especially on the offensive line. Despite the fact that only one freshman started last week, there were others on the two-deep. With all of that said, they have played almost a full season together, so why haven’t they improved? (Please note that looking good against UMass and Maryland doesn’t count; NC State is a maybe.)
You would think that, you know, new players would start to look a little more comfortable towards the end of the season. For the record, I’m holding young players in all of our sports to the same standard — when you’re a raw freshman just starting to play, you get a pass, but if you’re getting lots of playing time, by the end of the season, we should see something in the way of development. We’re not seeing it with a lot of these young guys, and as for the upperclassmen (and though some would have you believe there aren’t any on our OL, there are), what’s going on?
When Sean Devine became the offensive line coach, we were O-Line U. Now we’re No-Line U. In game after game against good opponents over the last few years, they’ve looked overmatched — look no further than the Clemson and Florida State games from this year to see where we really stand. Further, despite having talented rushers like Montel Harris, the best our run game has been since 2009 is 71st in the country.
BC used to be able to plug anybody new into the line and it’d still look good. Now, the whole unit has become a liability.