The Wisconsin Badgers closed out their 2018 season with a blowout win over Miami on Dec. 27, handing the Hurricanes a 35-3 loss in the Pinstripe Bowl.

Now BadgerBlitz.com will take a look back at the season that was, breaking down the bright spots and low points at each position, with an eye on the future as well.

Steam rolling over opposing teams is a group effort, and the UW offensive line helped pave the way for Jonathan Taylor in their second game of the season against New Mexico. By the time the game was done the Badgers had a 45-14 victory, and the team finished with 417 total yards on the ground - with an average of 7.07 yards per rush - and four rushing touchdowns. That was the only time the Badgers finished a game with more than 400 rushing yards this season.

With sophomore Jack Coan set to start at quarterback for the first time the Badgers needed their running game to be a stabilizing force on offense, but the line had trouble opening up holes against Northwestern's front seven. Northwestern held the Badgers to a season-low 5.1 yards per rush in the game and a total of just 165 yards on the ground. It was a game where the Badgers needed their experience-laden front five to deliver, and they and the offense as a whole came up short.

The Badgers will have a few spots to fill on their 2019 offensive line, but they should feel comfortable knowing that they identified a few long-term options who should be able to step in and play right away next year. Cole Van Lanen wasn't technically listed as the starter at left tackle this year, but he ended up on the strong side of the platoon at left tackle with Jon Dietzen and earned one of the line's best grades from Pro Football Focus this year. Logan Bruss also should have a head start on the job at right tackle after he started Wisconsin's final three games there in place of an injured David Edwards, who announced earlier this week he would be taking his talents to the NFL. 2019 will also see a return to offense for Kayden Lyles, who spent a year-long "internship" on the defensive line to fill some depth chart holes but should have little trouble winning a starting spot at guard or center in the offseason.

With Tyler Biadasz's decision to return to UW for the 2019 season instead of head off to the NFL, it will be interesting to see where Kayden Lyles ends up now that he will be back with his true position group. Lyles could legitimately play at either guard spot or at center for the Badgers, so where he ends up might depend on how the Badgers feel about their depth at the other spots on the line. You might see them move Jon Dietzen back to guard full-time and have Cole Van Lanen handle left tackle full-time, but they have plenty of talented options to choose from on the interior. Don't count out former walk-on Josh Seltzner - he's an under the radar candidate to make the first team in 2019. The Badgers will miss seniors Michael Deiter and Beau Benzschawel on the inside, but I don't get the sense the Badgers are worried about their offensive line for next season.

___________________________________________________

John Veldhuis covers Wisconsin football, basketball and recruiting for BadgerBlitz.com on the Rivals.com network. Follow him on Twitter at @JohnVeldhuis.