Eyebrows were raised entering the season when Florida State offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Alex Atkins made it clear that the Seminoles were going to rely on a rotational group of eight offensive linemen instead of the normal method of picking five and sticking with them as long as they are healthy.

The Seminoles returned a solid group of 2022 contributors and added three transfers to the unit entering 2023, with the knowledge that teams are rarely lucky enough to be able to play the same starting five for the course of an entire season.

FSU has certainly needed that offensive line depth. Of the eight players in FSU's OL rotation, Jeremiah Byers and D'Mitri Emmanuel are the only ones who have started all 12 games this season while Casey Roddick and Keiondre Jones are the only other offensive linemen who has appeared in all 12 games.

Four linemen from that group have missed at least one game this season and even when quite a few of them have played, they've done so while at less than 100%.

"Our offensive line, they work their tails off and it is a talented group," FSU head coach Mike Norvell said. "It's one that has been tested, but it's one that's responded with mental toughness, physical toughness."

This adversity has hit especially hard at the tackle spots. Robert Scott, who started 29 games over the last three seasons including 11 starts last season at left tackle, hasn't started a game since FSU's season opener. He appeared in just five games this season while battling injuries. Bless Harris, who started five games at left tackle in relief of Scott earlier this season, hasn't started since the Wake Forest game and didn't play in the Florida game.

Atkins said Monday that both Scott and Harris were available last week at Florida, but he elected to go with other players in the lineup.

"Rob was ready to go and Bless was ready to go. But I felt good with how the size of Byers and the athleticism of Darius (Washington) with us running outside zone and being able to cut off things on the backside..." Atkins said Monday. "It's just like any other position. We're trying to create matchups up front just like you would on the outside and it's been paying dividends for us."

Last week's game at Florida marked the fourth straight week that Scott dressed out and warmed up but didn't get into the game. As Atkins sees it, FSU's offensive line depth is affording the redshirt junior the luxury of making sure he's completely healthy before throwing him back out into game action.

"I care about Rob. I want to make sure (he's good), because Rob always wants to go. He doesn't care what's hurting, what's going on. I care about him and his career moving forward to make sure I'm not putting him in an unnecessary position to get even further injured," Atkins said. "He was ready to go. He practiced last week and he could have went if we needed him to go. We have that luxury to do that and he understands that he could go but I don't want to put him on a setback either if he's getting better unless it's absolutely necessary.

"What I like about him is he's really embraced that process. As we're further along, we're going to need Rob. He'll be feeling better than he's ever felt and he's still getting the work in practice against really good players. I don't think he's going to be underdeveloped. He's going to be ready to go when it's time to go, but he's also going to be able to be very effective when he goes and we don't have these setbacks that pushed him behind as we push later in the season."

Perhaps this week's ACC Championship Game could be when Scott and Harris are once again available, returning FSU to its full eight-person offensive line unit for the first time in over a month.

In some ways, FSU's offensive line has maybe taken a step back this season. While this unit has been better in pass blocking, it has taken a step back in terms of its run blocking. The Seminoles are averaging 4.77 yards per carry (35th in FBS) after they averaged 5.47 yards per carry (8th in FBS) in 2022.

As FSU enters the postseason, this year's average yards per carry tally is actually the smallest of Norvell's four seasons in Tallahassee. However, there's a certain undeniable nature to how this FSU offensive line grows into games and imposes its will more and more as it wears opposing teams down.

Through 12 games this season, FSU is averaging 4.22 yards per carry in the first quarter, 3.79 yards per carry in the second quarter, 5.53 yards per carry in the third quarter and 5.44 yards per carry in the fourth quarter.

"What I love about that group, no matter what the circumstance is, we used to come in here and talk about the small victories in losses. ‘Hey, man, you all rushed for a lot of yards, you all got better and protected well,' but we’d lose," Atkins said of his offensive line. "I like the resiliency to take whatever negativity comes from the offense, I want it to come to the o-line and also find a way to win games. If it’s close in the fourth, I believe in our guys that are going to finish the game.”

This weekend in Charlotte will be another test for FSU's rushing offense going up against a Louisville defense that is allowing 3.26 yards per carry this season, 15th among FBS teams.

"I know they're going to be ready to battle because we have our hands full with an extremely impressive Louisville front," Norvell said.

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