Indiana Has Owned The Line All Year — Is Miami The Exception?

Indiana has blown past its first 2 College Football Playoff opponents – and its regular play slate, for that matter – down nan ascendant play of some its violative and protect line

The oculus trial has told a compelling story, successful position of nan Hoosiers’ expertise to power nan trenches connected some sides of nan football, and nan numbers are moreover much convincing.

Indiana's power astatine nan statement of scrimmage will beryllium put to nan trial against Miami

In nan Peach Bowl, Indiana had 10 tackles for nonaccomplishment against Oregon compared to nan Ducks’ five. Dan Lanning’s nine had 71 yards connected 1 carry, but vanished nan outing pinch 93 full rushing yards – bully for 3.6 yards per tote, contempt that ultra-explosive play from Dierre Hill Jr. Meanwhile, Indiana went for 4.6 yards per transportation en way to 185 yards successful that aforesaid outing. 

Rewind nan portion a crippled further to nan Alabama game, and nan disparity is moreover much clear-cut. The Crimson Tide rushed for a whopping 23 yards connected 17 carries (1.4 yards per rush) while nan Hoosiers had 50 rushes for 215 yards. You get nan idea. 

But what astir nan Big Ten title – an outing Indiana was challenged in? Well, moreover successful that one, Curt Cignetti’s portion controlled nan trenches. Wreaking havoc connected Ohio State backmost Julian Sayin, nan Hoosiers’ pass-rush sacked Sayin 5 times. In Ohio State’s 12 erstwhile games, Sayin had gone down conscionable six full times. 

The Buckeyes’ violative statement was considered to beryllium 1 of nan champion successful nan state – if not the champion – until it met Indiana connected that fateful early-December nighttime successful Indianapolis. 

The contiguous thought pursuing that convention championship: Indiana conscionable did that to nan No. 1 squad successful nan country? The Hoosiers are nan champion squad successful nan state astatine nan statement of scrimmage. Bar none. 

Who has nan separator successful nan nationalist championship: Miami aliases Indiana?

Then we saw Ohio State get tossed each complete AT&T Stadium by Miami, a nine that registered 5 sacks of its ain against Ryan Day’s previously-lauded violative line. On nan flip side, nan Buckeyes managed conscionable 4 full tackles for nonaccomplishment successful that outing. 

Fast guardant a fewer weeks later, and we person 2 teams remaining: Indiana and Miami. So, who has nan advantage astatine nan statement of scrimmage?

Well, successful position of axenic talent, it’s Miami – by a patient margin. And, yes, Indiana’s individual talent from subordinate to subordinate has been undervalued each play long, but there’s a logic nan Hurricanes person 3 projected first-rounders betwixt their violative and protect line. (Indiana has zero.)

However, successful each nan different areas, Indiana has nan edge. Scheme? Hoosiers. Sheer grit and want? Hoosiers – evident successful halfway Pat Coogan being 20 yards down nan section to retrieve a Fernando Mendoza fumble successful nan Peach Bowl. 

All successful all, who knows? It’s a bull retired answer, but it’s nan correct one. It goes without saying: there’s a fistful of reasons some of these teams are successful nan nationalist championship. And their abilities to predominate successful nan trenches is adjacent nan apical of nan list. 

That said, while nan large boys’ play astatine nan statement of scrimmage will play a cardinal domiciled successful determining nan outcome, it appears much apt that nan backmost conflict featuring Mendoza and Miami’s Carson Beck will beryllium nan eventual deciding factor.