Built in different ways, Oregon and Oregon State's offensive lines are the class of the country
The I-5 Corridor checked in with offensive line guru Geoff Schwartz to figure out what's working for two of the best lines in the country.
Oregon doesn’t always consider the big guys when it comes to uniform theatrics.
Let’s go back to the 2005 Civil War, a game memorable for fog, Oregon’s dominating 55-18 victory and the unveiling of that era’s steel-plated uniforms in Eugene.
The Ducks warmed up in all yellow. They came back out of the locker room in black and green.
It wasn’t exactly a seamless changeover, though.
“I remember for me being frantic about it because with the way I taped my hands it was hard for me to take my pants off and untie my shoes,” Geoff Schwartz said. “I was just in a lineman panic about getting my uniform back on correctly.”
Schwartz started 36 games for the Ducks at right tackle back in the 2000s before playing eight years in the NFL. These days, he’s one of the most visible former Ducks in media with jobs at Fox Sports and Sirius XM. There’s a good chance you’ve seen clips of him breaking down offensive line play in his kitchen with a spoon.
Schwartz, now six-years retired from the NFL, is always looking out for the big guys, which is why he seemed like a good one to speak with to figure out why the ones on these Ducks and Beavers teams are so good.
Yes, this game will feature big names at skill positions like Nix, Franklin, Martinez and Uiagalelei². But for both the Ducks and Beavers, the success starts in the trenches.