Defense wins championships, right? Wrong! Offensive lines win championships because if you can’t keep your quarterback upright or you can’t establish the ground game, your defense is only going to take you so far. Just ask Texas Tech. With that in mind, which teams have the best offensive lines in the two College Football Playoff games taking place Jan. 8 and Jan. 9?
Our College Football Playoff Offensive Line rankings use the PFSN College Team Offensive Line Impact score to help understand which teams in the Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl have the most heroic hog-mollies as the Ole Miss Rebels face off against the Miami Hurricanes, and the Oregon Ducks and Indiana Hoosiers prepare to square off for the second time.
4) Indiana
PFSN College Team Offensive Line Impact Score: 81.4 (B-)
Another team that used the portal to elevate their offense, Indiana’s unit flies under the radar thanks to the team’s success. Fernando Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy, but he’s mentioned multiple times that his teammates deserve as much love.
Carter Smith, Pat Coogan, and Drew Evans are having career seasons, a huge reason for Mendoza’s success. When they’ve given him time to throw, wide receivers Omar Cooper and Elijah Sarratt tore apart the opposing defense.
3) Ole Miss
PFSN College Team Offensive Line Impact Score: 85.0 (B)
Throw everything out of the window that you know about this Ole Miss team, because Lane Kiffin’s departure put a chip on their shoulder. A group that feels betrayed and abandoned suddenly has a newfound motivation to make a run. They started with a beatdown of Tulane, and then reversed the regular-season script against the Georgia Bulldogs.
The Rebels’ offensive line is massive, and they’ve proven to be a problem for their opposition. Patrick Kutas is their highest graded player according to PFSN’s OL Impact metrics, but he only scored a 77.5 this year. Facing Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor might be the toughest test they’ve faced this season.
2) Miami
PFSN College Team Offensive Line Impact Score: 88.0 (B+)
As much as everyone gushes about the Miami Hurricanes’ defensive line, their offensive line is one of the best in college football, too. The struggles at the skill positions command most of the attention, but the stability up front kept them as consistent as possible. Multiple future NFL Draft picks will do that.
1) Oregon
PFSN College Team Offensive Line Impact Score: 90.6 (A-)
Offensive coordinator Will Stein knew he had an exciting group coming into the season, but he learned that the offensive line had more depth than expected. Injuries knocked out multiple starters through the season, but the backups were ready for their time to shine.
Tackles Isaiah World and Alex Harkey are tone setters, and their presence gives the Ducks two anchors on the edge. If they can stay healthy and get a couple of receivers back from injury, they’re one of the most dangerous teams in the College Football Playoff.