Wisconsin football merry-go-round OL crushing the offense

Wisconsin's offensive line woes date back to April. When presumed starting left tackle Kevin Heywood tore his ACL, it started a waterfall effect that has since put the entire unit in disarray. After Grimes, head coach Luke Fickell, and position coach AJ Blazek were unsatisfied with their replacement options in spring, they went to the transfer portal, plucking out Central Michigan Chippewas offensive lineman Davis Heinzen.

Heinzen played nearly every snap as the first team offense's left tackle during fall training camp. A disappointing performance in Week 1, however, sent him back to the sidelines as Miami (OH) Redhawks edge rusher Adam Trick recorded a career-high two sacks.

To replace Heinzen in Week 2, Blazek flipped Riley Mahlman, who had been UW's preferred starting right tackle since before Fickell arrived in Madison, to the left side. That led Emerson Mandell to fill in at right tackle, creating another hole at right guard. Redshirt freshman Colin Cubberly stepped up there, but an injury to center Jake Renfro led to graduate student Kerry Kodanko getting his first career start.

Wisconsin has not had many opportunities to "get right" since then. In seven games, the Badgers have started six different configurations on the offensive line. Last week, against the Ohio State Buckeyes, was the first time all season that UW started the same five on the offensive line as it had the week prior.

There is something to be said for the need for continuity on the offensive line, but there is something else to be said that, with the same starters against Ohio State and the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Wisconsin football offense twice failed to score a single point.