The Joe Moore Award is intended to honor the best offensive line in college football, not the most recognizable brand, not the deepest history, and not the unit that benefits from reputation alone. It is supposed to reward on-field dominance, cohesion, and measurable impact across the full scope of offensive line play.
Iowa’s Offensive Line: Solid, Not Elite
When the 2025 season data is examined honestly, the decision to award Iowa over Utah raises serious questions about how the award is evaluated and whether perception outweighed performance.
Iowa’s offensive line performed well in select areas, particularly in allowing quarterbacks time before pressure arrived. The Hawkeyes ranked 3rd nationally in average time to pressure (4.16 seconds), which is impressive and deserves recognition. However, when you zoom out and evaluate overall effectiveness, Iowa’s profile looks more good than dominant.
Key Iowa rankings:
- 25th in Team Offensive Line Impact (82.1)
- 24th in yards before contact per run (1.19)
- 65th in yards per designed run (5.0)
- 56th in quick pressure rate allowed (11.4%)
- 86th in non-blitz pressure rate allowed (33.3%)
- 52nd in true dropback pressure rate allowed (32.3%)
- 68th in true dropback sack rate allowed (6.3%)
- 22nd in long dropback pressure rate allowed (47.7%)
These numbers paint a clear picture: Iowa’s offensive line was competent, occasionally strong, but far from the most dominant unit in the country. Run blocking efficiency was middling, pressure resistance was inconsistent, and overall impact ranked outside the top 20 nationally.
For an award meant to crown the best unit, that résumé simply doesn’t stand out.
Utah’s Offensive Line: Dominance Across the Board
Now compare that with Utah.
Utah’s offensive line didn’t just perform well; it controlled games. The Utes ranked near or at the top of nearly every major offensive line metric, combining elite run blocking with strong pass protection and overall offensive influence.
Utah offensive line rankings:
- 1st in PFSN College Team OL Impact Grade (98.5)
- 2nd in yards before contact per run (1.60)
- 1st in yards per designed run (6.5)
- 1st in quick pressure % allowed (5.6%)
- 15th in non-blitz pressure % allowed (25.7%)
- 9th in true dropback pressure rate allowed (25.7%)
- 10th in true dropback sack rate allowed (3.0%)
- 15th in average time to pressure (3.96 seconds)
Beyond raw blocking efficiency, Utah’s offensive line had a far greater overall impact on offensive success:
That difference matters. The Joe Moore Award is about how an offensive line elevates the entire offense. Utah’s line clearly did that at a significantly higher level.
Talent, Depth, and NFL Projection
While offensive line awards should never be decided on individual stars alone, it’s impossible to ignore Utah’s elite tackle duo of Caleb Lomu and Spencer Fano.
Both are projected as top offensive line prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft, ranking 17th and 18th overall on the PFSN consensus big board. Fano carries an elite PFSN offensive line impact grade of 94.5, while Lomu grades out at a strong 80.6. With two future NFL tackles anchoring a unit that already leads the nation in impact metrics, Utah’s dominance wasn’t accidental; it was structural, technical, and sustainable.
Two players don’t make an offensive line, but when those two players are among the best in the country, and the unit still grades out No. 1 overall, that speaks volumes.
The Role of Reputation and Conference Bias
So why did Iowa win? The most plausible explanation lies outside the numbers.
Iowa has long carried the reputation of being “OL-U,” a program synonymous with trench play and NFL development. That reputation is well-earned. The Hawkeyes have produced elite NFL linemen, including:
- Tristan Wirfs (Buccaneers)
- Brandon Scherff (Jaguars)
- Tyler Linderbaum (Ravens)
- James Daniels (Dolphins)
- Alaric Jackson (Rams)
That legacy matters, but it shouldn’t overshadow current performance.
There’s also the broader perception that Big Ten football is more physical and more trench-centric than the Big 12, where Utah now competes. Whether fair or not, that belief likely influenced voters subconsciously. When two strong units are compared, history and conference prestige can quietly tip the scales.
But awards are supposed to reward what happened, not what usually happens.
When every meaningful metric is placed side by side, Utah didn’t just edge Iowa; they clearly outperformed them. Better run blocking. Better pressure rates. Higher overall impact. Greater influence on offensive success. And elite NFL-level talent anchoring the unit.
This isn’t an argument that Iowa had a bad offensive line. They didn’t. It’s an argument that Utah’s offensive line was demonstrably better across nearly every meaningful metric, and the gap was large enough that the final decision feels less like a close call and more like a miss.
