The link is very interesting in that it is surprising how different teams rank in terms of least or most penalized in comparison to season record, bowl accomplishments, etc. The comparative analysis that I posted and the total penalties ranking you posted at a minimum suggests how much more important O-line discipline is to the success of a football team. For example, how many times have we yelled at the TV when the false start penalty occurs on third and two or when the 30 yard run is nullified by a holding penalty? Yes, a defensive personal foul or pass interference penalty hurts and can cost a game, but those false starts and holding penalties are the death by a thousand cuts penalties. Iny my opinion, a disciplined O-line that is not penalized a lot is also a better run and pass blocking line. Penalties, blocking, and execution go hand in hand. Frankly, one of the main reasons Alabama is so much better than Tennessee and has been for over a decade, and for most of college football history, is because Tennessee's O-line can't measure up to 'Bama's. And that's a fact.
When looking at the OSU O-line peer teams included in the comparative analysis I posted (Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Oregon), and adding in some other good teams (i.e., teams that didn't have to win their final regular season game to get to 6-6 so they could play in the Poulan Weedeater Bowl or whatever it was called), such as Florida State, TCU, Baylor, and Michigan State, it is surprising how penalized those teams were compared to the least overall penalized teams. Of these good teams, Alabama was the least penalized at #30, then Georgia #38, and Ohio State as you pointed out at #50. I guess none of them can measure up to the all powerful Vols nor can Oregon #116, Auburn #103, Florida State #90, TCU # 89, and Michigan State #87. Maybe next season the Vols will rank higher than San Jose State.
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