I read an article years ago about the PSU OL woes. The article cited exactly what you noted. Guys playing out of their natural position. Turning tackles into guards, right tackles into left tackles.... The criticism was not keeping them in their "natural" positions.
I'm sure some can adapt to playing multiple spots on OL and some have a more difficult time adjusting.
Suffice to say, it was another Franklinism. "Gotta have flexibility...."
I love O-line talk. Just things I have noticed over the years:
I've watched OSU recruit centers, some right out of our back yard, for years. They stay at center their whole time at OSU. PSU never seems to do that. We seem to recruit the player, not the position.
Michigan portals in centers who start for them and dominate. PSU doesn't seem to be able to do that. My guess is that they resisted doing it and would not automatically "plug in" the portal guy because it would upset the recruited guys who had put the time in and the chemistry they thought they were building.
It's VERY hard to flip from right/left side to left/right side of the line and it's VERY difficult to go from playing inside to playing outside (guard to tackle).
The combination of speed, strength, intelligence, and love of violence that you need to excel is crazy rare. And you need five of the those guys. (probably need 8 total because someone is going to get injured).
I look at the records of Wisconsin and Iowa (generational linemen factories) and think "did they just stop developing linemen, look at their record?" Nope. They have zero threats at any of the skill positions. 5 NFL hall of famers couldn't win you a game with 6 skill position players taken from the stands. The line is just a "gear check". Meaning it's the minimal requirement that you need to meet if you want to advance. I think that's why Warren mattered so much last year. He could help block and be a pass catching threat. He may have actually bailed our o-line out last year more than we realized. Take him away and you have nothing at WR and a no-homerun threat at RB and you get what you get this year.
