Putting together the Michigan offense this season has been a bit of a puzzle for coach Brady Hoke and his staff. But the part that has proven to be the most difficult is also the part that gets it all going -- the offensive line.

The Wolverines have started three different offensive lines through seven games. And while Michigan had its best game -- statistically -- last Saturday, it was against one of the worst defenses in the Big Ten.

Even with that, Hoke was happy with the push from the offensive line and the protection it provided for quarterback Devin Gardner.

“I liked the progress that they made,” Hoke said. “And even the guys who weren’t starting, the weeks that they had were significant in their development. The competition that we always have, I think, is helping us as a football team.”

That competition so far this season has provided enough talent for Hoke to shuffle faces around on the O-line. The three players who have started every game are Taylor Lewan and Michael Schofield at the tackles and Graham Glasgow, first at left guard, and then moving over to center when conference play began.

One of the bigger personnel surprises was redshirt freshman Kyle Kalis being moved out of the starting lineup. Coaches had spoken highly of him from the beginning of fall camp, but even though he lost his starting spot to redshirt freshman Erik Magnuson, Hoke said that Kalis is still in the middle of that competition.

“I think he’s probably responded like you’d like him to,” Hoke said. “He has had a good week of practice -- came out and was physical, really understands that we’re going to need him. The next five games I can assure you we’re going to need every guy that we have in both fronts to play their best football.”

And they might be using that depth as they already have this season. Here’s a look at who played where through the first seven games this season.

Central Michigan to Connecticut:

LT: Taylor Lewan (Erik Magnuson)

LG: Graham Glasgow (Chris Bryant)

C: Jack Miller (Joey Burzynski)

RG: Kyle Kalis (Erik Gunderson)

RT: Michael Schofield (Ben Braden, Magnuson)

Minnesota and Penn State:

LT: Lewan (when Lewan got injured: Schofield, Gunderson)

LG: Chris Bryant (Burzynski)

C: Glasgow

RG: Kalis (Burzynski)

RT: Schofield (Magnuson)

Indiana:

LT: Lewan

LG: Joey Burzynski (Kyle Bosch)

C: Glasgow

RG: Magnuson (Kalis)

RT: Schofield

It will be interesting to see what Hoke and his staff decide to do with his group going forward.

On Monday, Hoke announced that Burzynski would be out the rest of the season with a torn ACL so that opens up the left guard spot again. When Burzynski exited the Indiana game, Hoke inserted Bosch, a freshman who held his own.

Whether Bosch can keep that spot, or if Hoke and his staff decide to shuffle more players around the line, will be something that plays out over the next week and a half as the Wolverines prepare for Michigan State.

The Spartans are the country’s best defense, allowing just 228 yards per game, including just 59 rushing yards per game. Considering the rushing performance the Wolverines had against Indiana, they’ll be heading into that game feeling confident, but they’ll certainly have their work cut out for them.

“Obviously the big test in two weeks, you’re playing one of the top five defenses in the country and in our conference in all the categories,” Hoke said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do before then.”