ATLANTA — Ask Cord Howard to recap the handiwork of Georgia Tech’s offensive line this season, and the veteran guard will give a direct and somewhat optimistic reply.

"We set goals for ourselves, and we’ve pretty much exceeded our goals," Howard said. "I think as an offensive line, we’ve been pretty dominant, in cases."

As evidence, look no further than the average 307.2 yards of rushing offense the Yellow Jackets have rolled up in 13 games behind the veteran and his fellow linemen. Add on the 10 games in which Georgia Tech has gained more than 400 yards of total offense, and Howard sounds like he’s right on the mark.

So where — particularly after enduring harsh criticism at times last season — do the players think the line’s success coming from? Some believe it started before the season even began.

During the preseason, centers Sean Bedford and Dan Voss were embroiled in the middle of likely the most competitive position battle on the team. While it directly affected solely those two players, indirectly, it has appeared to have had a lasting impact on the direction the rest of the unit has taken.

"It keeps you grounded and playing your best," Howard said of witnessing the battle between Bedford and Voss. "It was definitely an example."

After a month of exchanging drills and jockeying for position as the front-runner for the starting job, Bedford and Voss finally had the score settled. Coaches chose the junior Bedford to get the top nod, overtaking the one-time starter, who was beginning his final season.

"It’s a little different than a lot of people might envision it, because Dan and I are good friends, and we don’t look at it as a cutthroat kind of thing," Bedford said. "We both want to push each other to do better.

"Knowing that we were going to be pushing each other as tight as we were, it showed a lot of other guys that there’s possibility for you to move up here. It’s not just something the coaches say, it’s not just lip-service. You really do have an opportunity to move up and establish yourself based on hard work and your performance."

Howard agreed, saying that he has seen where all of that has translated across the unit throughout the season. And now that the team is beginning to see serious success with its ACC championship and a berth in next month’s BCS Orange Bowl against Iowa, each player on the line wants a piece of playing action.

"Everyone wants to be part of this right now and wants to play and showcase themselves," Howard said. "It’s definitely competition. Every time someone goes down, someone’s mouth is watered to try to fill their position."

And down the linemen have gone.

During a win over Vanderbilt, tackle Austin Barrick was forced to leave the game with what was later called a broken heel. A rare injury, the junior has been shelved the past six weeks, but just this week, he began the first steps to making a return to the lineup in time for the bowl.

"It was really tough (watching from afar), especially when we were in the chase for the ACC championship," Barrick said. "You play all year with the guys and you finally get the championship game and it comes down that you can’t play in it. It was really hard. But the guys stepped in for me and really did a good job."

Barrick, who after six weeks has finally been able to get out his protective boot, jogged for the first time Wednesday and said he expects to be out of his red non-contact jersey soon.

Stepping in during his absence was redshirt freshman Phil Smith, who started the Yellow Jackets’ past four games.

"Phil did a great job filling in the last part of the season for Austin," Bedford said. "He came in, and I don’t think we missed much of a beat at all."

But like Barrick before him, Smith also left a game after an injury.

During the ACC championship game two weeks ago — held in Smith’s hometown of Tampa, Fla., no less — the young tackle was forced from action when a broken ankle sidelined him during the first quarter. In his place came backups Nick Claytor and Clyde Yandell.

Throughout his career, Claytor has battled several nagging injuries and even experienced some minor pains the night he took over for Smith. But none of that prevented him from playing the final drive of the title game, when he helped lead the Yellow Jackets downfield to set up Jonathan Dwyer’s game-winning 15-yard touchdown run.

"Nick played through a ton of pain," Bedford said. "I can’t say enough about his toughness. He was cramping up, has a number of medical problems he was fighting and gutted it out for us. And then Clyde, when he was called upon, he came in and stepped right up. That’s just a testament to how badly we as a team wanted to win."