[OutsiderFan]

[quote author=CTcard link=topic=17393.msg201414#msg201414 date=1505774208]
[quote author=Hulk01 link=topic=17393.msg201306#msg201306 date=1505739812]
With two uniquely gifted freshman offensive linemen, "choosing your best five OLs and sticking with them" isn't a good strategy.  In August, Little was our best pass blocker, on a team where pass blocking had been a fatal weakness.  He had to be worked into the starting offensive line.  But Bright was the only fairly reliable alternative at left tackle, so he had to play there until Little was ready. 

Tucker is not an alternative this season, at any position, at last notice.  Hall isn't either. We've seen that.

Sarell is Walker Little without the same preparation.  Little spent over a year going against the nation's number of DL recruit, Marvin Wilson, in practice every day; they played on the same Texas hs team.  Sarell never faced a real match up playing in Washington state.  But he's going to be truly special.

I thank everyone for the OL discussion in this thread. It's the best I can do to understand what happened until I can find a game tape somewhere.  And I think OL is the #2 problem for the team (behind DL, but maybe moving up fast).

Interesting comment from Hulk that Hall isn't an answer, as he is the tackle who kept his position.

As to the comments about best 5, I am not sure that Burkett is top 5 OL, but he seems to be the only viable center.
I think the top line in terms of potential would be Little, Bright, Burkett, Herbig, Sarell, though I don't know which side Bright/Herbig should occupy. That linup is only a Hall/Sarrell switch from the starting OL vs SDSU. Of course "most potential" doesn't mean the same thing as best performance right now.

I am not particularly worked up as to whether the coaches messed up in setting the OL for game #1. I do think that going forward figuring out the OL is job #1. While I might think the DL would be job one, there may not be anything available to figure out. The OL appears to have hope, but I fear that realizing the hope may take an offseason training regimen - which of course would also involve finding a Bright replacement.
[/quote]

From watching high school, college, and MFL play, my observation is that an effective OL coach can make a tremendous positive impact.
More than any component of the game, an OL needs to work together as a cohesive unit, one which complements each others skills.
I think a first rate OL coach probably spends a lot of practice time working on footwork and blocking skills. Yes, lineman begin learning these fundamentals during youth and high school football. But for each higher level, such as college and the NFL,  it seems necessary for lineman to learn again effective footwork and blocking techniques.
Does Stanford have a dedicated OL coach ?
[/quote]

No.  Bloomgren is the OL Coach and nominally the OC.

[OutsiderFan]

[quote author=CTcard link=topic=17393.msg201414#msg201414 date=1505774208]
[quote author=Hulk01 link=topic=17393.msg201306#msg201306 date=1505739812]
With two uniquely gifted freshman offensive linemen, "choosing your best five OLs and sticking with them" isn't a good strategy.  In August, Little was our best pass blocker, on a team where pass blocking had been a fatal weakness.  He had to be worked into the starting offensive line.  But Bright was the only fairly reliable alternative at left tackle, so he had to play there until Little was ready. 

Tucker is not an alternative this season, at any position, at last notice.  Hall isn't either. We've seen that.

Sarell is Walker Little without the same preparation.  Little spent over a year going against the nation's number of DL recruit, Marvin Wilson, in practice every day; they played on the same Texas hs team.  Sarell never faced a real match up playing in Washington state.  But he's going to be truly special.

I thank everyone for the OL discussion in this thread. It's the best I can do to understand what happened until I can find a game tape somewhere.  And I think OL is the #2 problem for the team (behind DL, but maybe moving up fast).

Interesting comment from Hulk that Hall isn't an answer, as he is the tackle who kept his position.

As to the comments about best 5, I am not sure that Burkett is top 5 OL, but he seems to be the only viable center.
I think the top line in terms of potential would be Little, Bright, Burkett, Herbig, Sarell, though I don't know which side Bright/Herbig should occupy. That linup is only a Hall/Sarrell switch from the starting OL vs SDSU. Of course "most potential" doesn't mean the same thing as best performance right now.

I am not particularly worked up as to whether the coaches messed up in setting the OL for game #1. I do think that going forward figuring out the OL is job #1. While I might think the DL would be job one, there may not be anything available to figure out. The OL appears to have hope, but I fear that realizing the hope may take an offseason training regimen - which of course would also involve finding a Bright replacement.
[/quote]

From watching high school, college, and MFL play, my observation is that an effective OL coach can make a tremendous positive impact.
More than any component of the game, an OL needs to work together as a cohesive unit, one which complements each others skills.
I think a first rate OL coach probably spends a lot of practice time working on footwork and blocking skills. Yes, lineman begin learning these fundamentals during youth and high school football. But for each higher level, such as college and the NFL,  it seems necessary for lineman to learn again effective footwork and blocking techniques.
Does Stanford have a dedicated OL coach ?
[/quote]

No.  Bloomgren is the OL Coach and nominally the OC.