The Charleston Gazette Wrote:WVU line ranked best in nation
By Dave Hickman
Staff writer
June 18, 2008

MORGANTOWN - Paying too much attention to preseason college football magazines is done at one's own risk.

Take Athlon, for instance. There one will find a preseason All-America first team that includes three players from one team. And no, the team is not Southern Cal or Texas or even West Virginia.

It's Cincinnati, where cornerback Mike Mickens, defensive lineman Terrill Byrd and punter Kevin Huber play.

Cincinnati?

Still, in the absence of actual games, these types of preseason predictions are fun to look at, often times even for the players involved.

Take Athlon again. Chances are good that the magazine will sell a few more copies in places like Gladwyne, Pa., and Fogelsville, Pa., not to mention in Cincinnati, and for reasons other than those three Bearcats on the All-America list.

Those are some of the hometowns of West Virginia's offensive linemen, a group that according to Athlon is No. 1 in the country. In the magazine's ranking of offensive lines for the 2008 season, none ranked higher than the Mountaineers.

"I haven't even seen it yet,'' said junior guard Greg Isdaner. "But my dad bought at least one copy, I guess, because he said he was going to send it to me.''

Whether or not West Virginia's offensive line is the best in the country is, of course, up for debate. It's hard, though, to argue with what the group did last season. Naturally, the talents of quarterback Pat White and tailback Steve Slaton had something to do with it, but WVU's line also gets a chunk of the credit for a team that was third in the nation in rushing yards per game and was the only team in the nation to average more than six yards (6.15) per rushing play.

"I guess they just do it based on past reputation and past play,'' Isdaner said. "You don't even know who's evaluating it sometimes, so you can't much stock into it.''

West Virginia's offensive line returns intact from last year and includes a first-team Athlon preseason All-America in left tackle Ryan Stanchek, a 6-foot-4, 300-pound fifth-year senior from Cincinnati. Isdaner, the left guard, is a 6-4, 315-pound junior from Gladwyne, Pa., who was picked to the magazine's third All-America team.

The other starters are 6-4, 285-pound senior center Mike Dent from Jeannette, Pa.; 6-5, 305-pound junior right guard Jake Figner from Fogelsville, Pa.; and at right tackle either 6-6, 285-pound junior Selvish Capers or 6-6, 300-pound senior Stephen Maw.

"They're good,'' said West Virginia defensive tackle Scooter Berry, who lines up against that group every day in practice. "A lot of people don't see that because they're not your average 350-pound, 6-foot-9 linemen.''

Indeed, while most offensive lines in the country will average well over 300 pounds and include one or two upwards of 330, WVU's starting five is likely to weigh it at an average of less than 300. But size isn't all that matters.

"When it comes down to it, those dudes are very strong off the ball, very athletic, agile,'' Berry said. "That's the linemen that you don't want to face. I'll take a bigger, slower guy any day.''

All in all, though, being ranked No. 1 as an offensive line means even less than being ranked as a team. West Virginia, by the way, is ranked No. 7 in the preseason by Athlon.

"It's fine, you know. But it doesn't really mean all that much until we get out on the field and prove it this year,'' Isdaner said of the unit ranking. "It's nice to see they hold us in such high regard. But aside from a little confidence boost, it doesn't mean too much.''

Reach Dave Hickman at dphickman1@aol.com or (304) 348-1734.