Stormin in Norman
Fansided

Oklahoma football: Why Bill Bedenbaugh is the best o-line coach in the country

By Christopher Dukes

FORT WORTH, TX - OCTOBER 01: Dru Samia #75 of the Oklahoma Sooners and Chris Bradley #56 of the TCU Horned Frogs in the first half at Amon G. Carter Stadium on October 1, 2016 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TX - OCTOBER 01: Dru Samia #75 of the Oklahoma Sooners and Chris Bradley #56 of the TCU Horned Frogs in the first half at Amon G. Carter Stadium on October 1, 2016 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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NORMAN, OK – SEPTEMBER 014: Offensive lineman Cody Ford #74 of the Oklahoma Sooners engages the crowd before the game against the Florida Atlantic Owls at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners defeated the Owls 63-14. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)
NORMAN, OK – SEPTEMBER 014: Offensive lineman Cody Ford #74 of the Oklahoma Sooners engages the crowd before the game against the Florida Atlantic Owls at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners defeated the Owls 63-14. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) /

A nasty attitude

While technique is always a big part of offensive line’s development, the real defining trait for Oklahoma football o-lines under Bedenbaugh seems to be attitude.

All-time great football coach John Madden once said of offensive linemen tend to grow up as the biggest kids in their school. Being big kids, they are discouraged from being aggressive. For Madden  the key to unlocking greatness in an offensive lineman is allowing him to fully assert himself.

That’s an attitude Bendenbaugh pounds into his players.

The Sooners play with an aggressive mean streak and take pride in bullying opponents off the line of scrimmage.

A Joe Moore Award voter commented on his vote for Oklahoma this past season:

“I thought they played with the most attitude. All of the finalists were tough and physical, but it seemed like Oklahoma went out of their way to try punish their opponent any chance they got.”

It’s an attitude reflected in a quote from Ben Powers about being an offensive lineman from Big 12 Media Days. 

"“A lot of people ask me what motivates me. What motivates me is I love taking a grown man’s dreams and crushing them.”"

Lincoln Riley’s sophisticated playcalling and uber-talented skill players don’t matter if the Sooners don’t dominate the line of scrimmage every week, and more often than not that happens under Bendenbaugh’s watch.

A desperate need

Some Oklahoma football fans might have forgotten (or tried to forget) that Oklahoma’s offensive line play went through a major lull in the middle of Bob Stoops’ tenure.

From 2009-12 the Sooners averaged 134.6, 138.0, 162.9 and 161.4 yards per game on the ground. There was a lack of toughness in the trenches that was put on full display for all the world to see in October of 2012 when the Sooners were held to just 15 yards rushing on 24 attempts (a 0.6 yard average) in a 30-13 loss to Notre Dame on primetime national television.

While the Notre Dame game showed how far the Sooners had to go on the line, it was a trip to Morgantown that year that gave Oklahoma football fans a glimpse on what they could become.

Bill Bedenbuagh was in his second year coaching the Mountaineers offensive line when West Virginia hosted Oklahoma that season and his group gave the Sooners all they wanted in a 50-49 Oklahoma win. West Virginia kept the Sooners d-line on skates all day, rushing for 448 yards (including 334 from Tavon Austin) in one of the Big 12’s all-time great offensive performances.

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