Whiteboard Wednesday: What’s wrong with the FSU offensive line? Part 1

If you were to ask any FSU fan about the major shortcoming of the football team there would be no debate to the answer: the offensive line. Make no mistake they are sometimes every bit as bad as they are thought to be but what is it that makes them that way? Many people around the program have offered their answers. These range from a lack of overall talent to an inordinate amount of injuries sustained and even cultural problems but these answers are merely scratching the surface of what’s really happening.

To get a better understanding of what is happening on the field we have to look at the film. All of the sacks and pressures from the 2019 season can be placed into one of three categories: missed assignments, linemen getting beat, and quarterback problems. Each of these categories account for roughly a third of the total plays. Today we’re going to spend some time looking at the issues that are the easiest to correct: the missed assignments.

There is some hope to this line. Blocking schemes are tough and take a while to adapt to. Many of Florida State’s most talented linemen are young and they take time to get comfortable with each other. Assuming Norvell can keep some consistency within the program look for many of these issues to resolve themselves sooner rather than later.