It's taken longer than I expected to get to this point, but Ohio is finally to the point where I believe they will consistently have one of the best offensive lines in the MAC.  Part of the reason its taken as long as it has is that there have been a lot of injuries, and people forced to leave the program early as a result. People like Paul Johnson, Gary Schussler,  Dathan Ferrainolo, Mike Philibin, Jacob Black, Matt Britain, Cole Bunner, Dustin Laudermilch, and John Flowers come to mind. As a result some years there was virtually no depth on the offensive line. This year's line is solid all the way across. Probably the best indication is that Vince Carlotta was a starter in 2009 and 2010, and he's apparently back from injury, but not even on the top two strings.

I expect these kind of lines to continue. I also expect that, with Coach Dixon, the receivers will continue to be outstanding. As a result, Ohio may have a much easier time recruiting running backs and QBs in the future. Who wouldn't want a line like that in front of them, and receivers like that to throw to?

I don't think that there is any doubt that TALENT-WISE this is the best Solich-era line. But after the Troy game last year, it's hard for me to get too optimistic. Those Troy DE's could run right around our tackles and they were teeing off on Boo. 

Once I see this line actually reach it's potential, then I'll start getting excited.

From the program success standpoint it all starts up front. Its the difference between the typical BCS program and the mid major. Lightner has built the kind of line at Ohio that you would find at a BCS program. Its getting to the point where most MAC programs just cannot compete with us up front. Other MAC programs are constantly trying to recoup talent with entirely new coaching staffs. You have a program like Buffalo where Turner Gill turns it around on the field to only leave at a couple of years followed by a new coach, a good one in Quinn but any new staff is going to suffer from player attrition. Programs are suffering from players unable to adapt to new philosophies and general weeding out.

Dixon is helping with the development at the WR position but its one of these areas the program has seemly discovered 4-5 years ago like an invention and from that day forward the WR unit has stayed stacked. I can remember the same transformation happening in the 90's at DB and P/K since then for whatever reason play at those positions has been solid. RB play has fallen off the last 4-5 years because of change in schemes, having an everydown back like Kalvin McRae reducing the need to recruit at that position, and lack of a walk-on program at the position but I think that is changing. QB and MLB are positions where the quality of play there can go up and down as its fate rests on 1 or 2 individuals. The QB position should be further along than what it is in the 7th year of Solich. The Offensive Line is finally where it should be but we knew that would take a while to build. I think we are entering a phase where the program has figured out the OL/DL positions. There are always jitters about the line play and all the attrition has affected depth but now with better luck Ohio is locking down the lines. I'm just not worried about the DL play at all, there is some young talent but I'm sure our staff will figure it out. Every year the staff is signing 8 quality lineman where 8-10 years ago the program was lucky to get 3-4 good ones in a class out of the 6 recruited.