The friendly rivalry between offensive line coach Greg Studrawa and senior left tackle Ciron Black is an on-and-off-the-field spectacle. “Coach Stud,” as his players call him, can be found tearing into the fourth-year starter on a hot summer practice in mid-August.But the battle moves from the green grass of the practice field to the green cloth of Studrawa’s pool table for a game of eight ball. The 6-foot-5-inch, 325-pound lineman would prevail against the average opponent, but he is no match for the intimidating former Bowling Green offensive tackle.”I always win,” Studrawa said. “He can’t beat me, and that really frustrates him. He’s used to winning at everything, and he can’t win at that.”Studrawa takes the time to get to know his players beyond the typical player-coach relationship that takes place on the field.”I’m going to be involved in every aspect of their life,” Studrawa said. “I want to be as close to them as if they were my sons. I can push them and motivate them and make them better because they trust me.”Studrawa has earned a reputation for having a loud, aggressive nature during practice, but he is also known as a comedian by the players and coaches when the pressures of coaching for a Southeastern Conference team subside.”His sense of humor keeps you thinking and going,” said offensive coordinator Gary Crowton. “He’s the kind of guy who at one minute he’s ripping you, and the next minute he’s making you laugh.”Studrawa invites the offensive line to his house a few times every season, and his wife cooks a big pot of chili for all of the linemen. It’s a tradition he began while coaching at Cincinnati. “You see those kids in a different light when there’s no football around,” Studrawa said. “It’s all about the kids and their life and those kinds of things.”As Studrawa shapes the offensive line on the field, his home bonding with the players builds unity outside the gridiron.”We always enjoy going to coach Stud’s house,” said sophomore center T-Bob Hebert. “A lot of position coaches take their players out, but coach Stud is one of the few where you go to his house.”Besides building connections with current players, Studrawa uses his charm and personality to recruit future Tigers. The Fostoria, Ohio, native has been vital in bringing in top linemen during his three years in Baton Rouge. Studrawa already began working on the 2010 recruiting class, gaining commitments from three linemen, including two Scout.com four-star offensive tackles. “These days the kids are really concerned with who’s the head coach and who’s their position coach,” Studrawa said. “You’ve got to build that same relationship and let these kids know about the program.”Scout four-star offensive lineman T.J. Leifheit is considering LSU and said Studrawa is the biggest reason why the Tigers are one of his top-five schools.”Coach Stud and I really hit it off from the beginning,” Leifheit said. “We talk a whole bunch.  I really like how he has the guys over once a month for some chili.”As Studrawa prepares for the future, his past success speaks for itself. The Tiger offense netted 2,998 yards on the ground en route to a national championship in his first year at the helm of the offense line.He had similar success in 2008 as his line paved the way for senior running back Charles Scott. Led by former Tiger Herman Johnson, the offensive line guided Scott into the end zone 18 times— first in the SEC and one shy of tying the school record set by former running back LaBrandon Toefield.Studrawa’s offensive line looks to continue similar production in 2009 after returning three of five starters.—-Contact Michael Lambert at [email protected]