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Things are easier now for Michigan's offensive line, players say

PARIS, France -- A year ago, Michigan's football team was littered with young and inexperienced players along the offensive line.

Save for maybe Mason Cole, learning was an everyday thing and never stopped.

Toss in an NFL-style playbook that calls for plenty of audibles at the line of scrimmage, two offensive line coaches that emphasize different tasks, and things can get messy.

And they did. Often. Michigan's offensive line ranked in the bottom half of the country in sacks and tackles for loss allowed. Two of its quarterbacks left games after taking big hits.

"Coach Warinner's philosophy -- he tells us he doesn't want to start calculus before everybody can pass Algebra I," said Stephen Spanellis, a redshirt sophomore guard/center.