Eight teams still have a chance at claiming this year’s national championship trophy.
While each team has its own unique characteristics, they all have one thing in common: great offensive lines. Using PFSN College Offensive Line Impact for rankings, all eight playoff teams are ranked inside the top 25 and six are ranked in the top 15.
Ole Miss’s offensive line ranks 13th overall and fourth among the teams in the College Football Playoff. It doesn’t give up many sacks either with just 18 sacks allowed (1.38 per game).
Thursday night’s CFP quarterfinal in New Orleans between Georgia and Ole Miss will feature two very good offensive lines. In the previous meeting this season, the two units combined to allow just one sack and it was the Bulldogs’ line who gave it up.
Solid offensive line play was a big reason why the Rebels were able to score touchdowns on their first five possessions.
“We started great. We just got to keep that going,” Ole Miss junior Patrick Kutas said. “I thought we were a physical team. We did our job up front, and that allowed for big plays to happen. But kind of just late in the game, you know, some things don’t go right, and it just kind of creates a domino effect. We just can’t let that happen again.”
The Rebels’ offensive line, like most of the team, learned a lot from that game and have gotten better. But the Rebels’ offensive line has been improving all season long.
“First couple games were kind of rough and bumpy, but after that, I mean, it was week by week,” Kutas said. “We were meshing better. We were playing better together. And when we play better, that allows for the team to play better. So just that improvement week by week has been awesome.”
A bumpy start to a season is nothing new and is likely going to continue with how much roster turnover there is between seasons. Some teams like Ole Miss get through it unscathed. Others end up losing two important games at the start of the season that cost them a playoff spot (Notre Dame).
For the Rebels’ offensive line, the improvement came through communication.
“Communication is the basis of everything,” the 2025 Kent Hull Trophy award winner said. “So if we can communicate right, we know where we’re going, both sides, center, then we can go from there and be successful.”
A lot of communication along the line starts at the center position, a spot where Ole Miss has played sophomore Brycen Sanders. This was his first season as a starter after playing mostly on special teams last season.
“His improvement’s been awesome over this year,” Kutas said. “You know, it’s kind of the point where he doesn’t have to say anything to me. I don’t have to say anything to him. We just get the call and we go. But he’s really done a great job of attacking the opportunity and making the most of it.”
That non-verbal communication is helpful at a position where defenders can hear every word said (understanding it is another matter).
We’ll get a chance to see two great offensive lines on Thursday night at 7 p.m. in the final CFP quarterfinal game.
