Offensive Line Looks Offensive: Spartans Rank Last in Sacks Allowed

“Just because you're offended, doesn't mean you're right.” — Ricky Gervais

Now, I’m not sitting here saying I’m right, but I sure as heck am sitting here feeling offended.

And I have one specific group to thank for that.

The Michigan State offensive line.

A group that was supposed to be the heartbeat of the offense — and perhaps the entire team — was an area the Spartans poured their heart and soul into during the offseason.

Michigan State brought in players such as Ben Murawski, Nick Sharpe and Trent Fraley, among others, with the goal of shoring up, beefing up and strengthening the offensive line.

This group was supposed to lead this team as a unit.

Instead, continuity has been hard to come by since Week 1, when Sharpe missed the season opener. Returning starter Connor Moore has since missed a game and continues to play through injury.

And now, despite Fraley playing very well, the offensive line has allowed 17 sacks — the most in the Big Ten.

Opposing defenses are salivating when they see Michigan State on the schedule, knowing their edge rushers will have plenty of opportunities to tee off on a frustrating group.

The offensive line deserves a majority of the blame for allowing such an egregious number of sacks. The Spartans have struggled to consistently move opposing defensive fronts, and even against MAC competition like Toledo, the offensive line looked anything but cohesive.

But while the players have to execute, we also can't simply jog past the coaches.

Offensive line coach Nick Tabacca and offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan have not had this unit prepared to the level expected.

For a team that promised to win — or at least compete — through the trenches and physicality, the underperforming offensive line is becoming a glaring sign of miscommunication and dysfunction early in this coaching staff's tenure.

It is only five games into the season, but that also means Michigan State is just one game away from the halfway point of the first season of the Pat Fitzgerald era.

Right now, that era has an identity crisis just as much, if not worse, than when former head coach Jonathan Smith was at the helm.

And the problems don't stop with the coaching staff or the offensive line.

We also have to look directly at the quarterback.

Alessio Milivojevic, a young redshirt sophomore, showed extreme poise during his four starts last season. He looked calm and confident behind the offensive line.

That Milivojevic seems to be long gone.

Maybe it is because last year's games came with little expectation, whereas this year Milivojevic was handed the keys to the car from the start. Now he is experiencing what it's like to have pressure begin to crumble everything around him.

Right now, Milivojevic looks extremely uncomfortable in the pocket. That discomfort has led to errant throws and forced passes.

At the same time, it is difficult for Milivojevic to get the ball out quickly when the receiver room has struggled to consistently create separation.

And that creates a vicious cycle.

Coaching. Offensive line. Quarterback. Wide receivers.

It all feeds into the next problem.

For Michigan State to find any semblance of offensive success, one of these groups has to get off the merry-go-round and break the chain.

The offensive line will have an opportunity to do exactly that Saturday against Illinois.

The Fighting Illini have recorded just three sacks through their first five games, giving Michigan State's offensive line a much-needed opportunity to regain some confidence.

After five games of frustration, the Spartans desperately need this group to finally start looking like the strength it was supposed to be.