Let me preface this by saying that Todd deserves all the credit in the world for being a "program guy". He sat for four years and patiently waited his turn as opposed to taking the easy road and transferring somewhere that he could get playing time.
That being said, I think there are very real parallels between Todd and Zwick, minus the high profile recruit angle. Todd is a serviceable QB that maybe makes a few too many mistakes. As much as people may want him to be, he's just not a Krenzel-like game manager. Like has been pointed out, his stats swelled against less than stellar competition, then fizzled as we hit the "meat" of the schedule. Even as he was putting up nice numbers, he still made some noticeable mistakes (underthrowing recievers, not hitting them in stride, etc...) and you cannot argue his tendency to get rattled. Granted he was a first year starter, but he was in his 5th year in the program.
Also, like Zwick, he has a potentially much more dynamic QB behind him who could bring a whole different element to the offense with his legs. I'm talking Henton, not Pryor...not yet. The difference is that this year, as opposed to 2004, there are very real National Title aspirations. I think Henton has all the talent to be a fantasic QB and just wish he hadn't suffered the set back last season, because this would be a very different situation.
JT is very aware of all of the above, and I don't look for another "mishandling" of the QB situation like 2004 and (arguably) the first part of '05. If Todd shows one inkling of struggling against YSU, I look for a lot of Henton against OU and USC.
If you were to ask me who I honestly hoped will end up winning the job given Grad's assessment that there is indeed a fight for the job, put me in Henton's camp.
I understand the perils of an inexperienced QB, but I firmly believe that a bigger/even better Beanie, our WR corp, offensive line and defense would make the transition much smoother than the Zwick to Smith switch. Henton's skill set, combined with the other athletes, makes the offense potentially much more dynamic than a pocket passer like Todd. It may be Todd's misfortune of following the best Buckeye QB ever, but it's reality. The college football landscape is changing, and teams tend to have better success with more dynamic QBs.
Just my 2 cents.
That being said, I think there are very real parallels between Todd and Zwick, minus the high profile recruit angle. Todd is a serviceable QB that maybe makes a few too many mistakes. As much as people may want him to be, he's just not a Krenzel-like game manager. Like has been pointed out, his stats swelled against less than stellar competition, then fizzled as we hit the "meat" of the schedule. Even as he was putting up nice numbers, he still made some noticeable mistakes (underthrowing recievers, not hitting them in stride, etc...) and you cannot argue his tendency to get rattled. Granted he was a first year starter, but he was in his 5th year in the program.
Also, like Zwick, he has a potentially much more dynamic QB behind him who could bring a whole different element to the offense with his legs. I'm talking Henton, not Pryor...not yet. The difference is that this year, as opposed to 2004, there are very real National Title aspirations. I think Henton has all the talent to be a fantasic QB and just wish he hadn't suffered the set back last season, because this would be a very different situation.
JT is very aware of all of the above, and I don't look for another "mishandling" of the QB situation like 2004 and (arguably) the first part of '05. If Todd shows one inkling of struggling against YSU, I look for a lot of Henton against OU and USC.
If you were to ask me who I honestly hoped will end up winning the job given Grad's assessment that there is indeed a fight for the job, put me in Henton's camp.
I understand the perils of an inexperienced QB, but I firmly believe that a bigger/even better Beanie, our WR corp, offensive line and defense would make the transition much smoother than the Zwick to Smith switch. Henton's skill set, combined with the other athletes, makes the offense potentially much more dynamic than a pocket passer like Todd. It may be Todd's misfortune of following the best Buckeye QB ever, but it's reality. The college football landscape is changing, and teams tend to have better success with more dynamic QBs.
Just my 2 cents.
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