Agree about the schedule, but the only injured OL who was projected to start was Davis and we ran for 3 yards in a game after he returned. I'm not saying injuries didn't factor at all, but it was much more than that, as it's been going on for years.
There IS a lot more to it. Namely:
- Key players who would be upperclassmen nucleus of the OL being medically disqualified, and not part of the program anymore
- In-season injuries, forcing the staff to shift guys around
- COVID-19 disrupting spring practice
- An absurd amount of off-season injuries
- The stupid NCAA, giving out waivers like Halloween candy, denying our transfer
And there are other reasons, too. Like Alexander not coming anywhere close to what was expected in 2019, Heckel's injury forcing Servais back into the middle, when he'd dropped nearly 30 pounds to enhance his agility for playing OT, etc.
Like usual, there isn't any one thing that is the root cause and the single root cause of the issue. I know that's what some posters [not you, OP -- I agree with your point that it is a multi-dimensional issue] would like to pretend, because it makes it easier to lay blame and focus their ire.
I do want to rebut one thing about your post. The top 3 OG projected by the staff were Bleich, Davis, and Pat Davis. The coaching staff wasn't sure whether he would get cleared by the NCAA, but they were optimistic -- and predictably, the NCAA made the wrong call. He was also injured, so not sure how much he would have played. But with him not in play, top reserve P. Davis would have likely slid into the other spot, alongside Dakota. Problem was, they were both injured. So much so that when P. Davis returned after the first 4 or 5 games, he tried to rush out onto the field just to provide some depth -- but he could only make it through 2 series before he had to come out of the game. When Dakota returned, he was still hobbled -- THAT'S why the YPR didn't improve when he returned. The coaching staff had to play despite him being impaired. Ditto Servais, who other years might have missed a game or two to allow him to heal. But there was literally. Noone. Else. So he tried to gut it out, for the good of the team, despite barely being able to move.
BTW, I mentioned who the top 3 OG's were -- we ended up starting NONE of them -- instead marching out Tisdale and converting a utility player [Elmore] to OG for nearly 3/4 of the season. So I disagree that it was just one projected starter who was injured -- the injury situation was a substantial problem for the OL this year, spanning several players, which had a significant trickle-down effect on how the unit shaped up and performed.
