In the days leading up to the 2015 Rose Bowl, the Emerald will take a unit-by-unit look at Oregon and Florida State, determining which team has the edge going into the showdown on Jan. 1 in Pasadena. Today, we’ll look at each team’s offensive lines, with thoughts on Florida State from Perry Kostidikas of the Florida State View. 
Oregon 
The added allotment of time leading up to the Rose Bowl has the Oregon offensive line in a position that only compares to the first two weeks of the regular season. In other words, the unit is almost as healthy as it was in September. With only center Hroniss Grasu’s status up in the air, the Ducks’ offensive line may have every part it possessed as it entered its bout with Michigan St. on Sept. 6.
Grasu has missed the last three games after injuring his leg at Utah on Nov. 8, but his absence did not translate into a drop in production. While the injuries to tackles Tyler Johnstone, Andre Yruretagoyena and Jake Fisher stirred a disheveled mess in the early part of the season, Oregon’s offensive line has revamped into a formidable unit that has keyed its eight-game winning streak.
After its lone loss of the season to Arizona on Oct. 2 – a game in which Marcus Mariota was dropped five times – Oregon’s rushing attack has averaged 255 yards per game and the line has surrendered just 13 sacks.
Anchoring all of this success has been a line that has rebounded and retooled after each injury its endured. In all, the unit has assembled eight different starting combinations and, at certain points, relied on a true freshman and walk-on. Fisher’s presence may be the most impactful, as his return to the lineup initially sparked the pace Oregon’s been running at ever since. 
Florida State
For Florida State, the situation at the offensive line has been somewhat similar to the Ducks’. After starting center Austin Barron broke his arm, head coach Jimbo Fisher eventually moved original left tackle Cam Erving to shore up the struggles the middle of the line faced. True freshman Roderick Johnson then assumed Barron’s original position before the Seminoles matchup with Miami on Nov. 15.
The alteration paid dividends. Since then, the unit has given up just two sacks and Florida State ballcarriers are averaging over six yards per carry. 
“The upgrades have definitely helped both the pass and run game,” Kostidakis said. “Especially in terms of Dalvin Cook, because once he finds a hole he’s liable to be a threat.”
Cook’s become a byproduct of the switch and a firm example came in the team’s last contest. In the Seminoles’ 37-35 win over Georgia Tech in the ACC Championship, Cook rushed for a season-high 177 yards and a touchdown.
Aside from Johnson, the group is full of seniors that are experienced and proven. Erving has won consecutive ACC Jacobs Blocking Trophy’s (honor given to best linemen in the ACC), while left guard Josue Matias and right guard Tre’ Jackson are projected to go as high as the second round in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Advantage – Oregon. Sure Florida State has the NFL type models at the position, however its averages on offense look pedestrian to the pace Oregon’s moved at. Florida State is currently averaging just 134.8 rushing yards per game – over 100 yards less than Oregon’s average. Although, their’s a dramatic difference in the Seminoles’ play following the movement on the line, the Ducks’ consistency trumps that of their opponents.
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