A sturdy offensive line is an ingredient for any successful football team. Star quarterbacks can’t make those game-inning throws without an offensive tackle protecting the blindside. Running backs who rush for 1,000 yards need offensive guards to break up space on the interior. Those are just the basics.
For the Cincinnati Bearcats, the offensive line has actually been relatively solid the last few years, including the first of the Luke Fickell era. With Ron Crook installed as the offensive lines coach, the Bearcats allowed only 62 tackles for loss and 17 sacks, marks that ranked second and fourth in the American Athletic Conference, respectively.