2011 Quarterbacks Discussion

[GeorgiaBuck2]

from winter conditioning photo gallery on the ozone website

Love that photo.

 

[Buckskin86]

Ohio State football: Sizing up Pryor's fill-in candidates
Sunday, April 3, 2011
By Tim May and Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

This has to be one of the more bizarre quarterback competitions in Ohio State football history.

Four scholarship players are fighting this spring to become the starter when Ohio State opens the season Sept.3 against Akron. The winner will take the place of three-year starter Terrelle Pryor, but with an asterisk.

Pryor is one of five Buckeyes facing five-game suspensions, along with coach Jim Tressel, for their various roles in violating NCAA rules regarding the selling of memorabilia. Pryor should be available for the sixth game, Oct.8 at Nebraska, and it's not likely he'll take a seat at the end of the line, considering he shares the school record for career touchdown passes (57) and has the most career rushing yards by an Ohio State quarterback (2,164).

The competition, therefore, is to find an interim starter.

"I'm going to have as much fun watching as you guys are as to who is going to step up and emerge," Tressel said. "You can only emerge if you demonstrate production. You can only emerge if you demonstrate that commitment. You can only emerge if you take them down the field."

The competitors are Joe Bauserman, Kenny Guiton, Taylor Graham and Braxton Miller, the blue-chip prospect who enrolled in January. There are nearly three weeks of practices between now and the spring game April 23, but Dispatch beat reporters Tim May and Ken Gordon break down what we know of the contestants.

Cont...

http://www.dispatch.com/live/conten...ing-up-pryors-fill-in-candidates.html?sid=101

 

[Buckskin86]

Tressel: No clear No.1 QB at the moment

By TIM MAY
The 2011 spring practices are more than halfway dne, and Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said he has no clear pecking order at quarterback in the race to replace Terrelle Pryor for the first five games in the fall.

Senior Joe Bauserman, sophomore Kenny Guiton, redshirt-freshman Taylor Graham and freshman Braxton Miller are the competitors, but is that also the order?

?To me that?s a great question, and I wish it was definitive; I wish someone was head shoulders above another,? Tressel said on the Big Ten teleconference today. ?But at this point I don?t see that.?

In the scrimmage last Saturday in Ohio Stadium, Bauserman, Graham and Miller had some outstanding plays while Guiton appeared to struggle. But in Tuesday?s practice, that was not the case.

?I kind of vacillate each day,? Tressel said about who might have the lead. ?I thought (Tuesday) the guy who had the best day was Kenny. But we don?t have a game tomorrow so we don?t have to make that decision.

?What you are trying to develop is that consistency over time. And I think it is critical that by the end of 15 (spring) practices that we do start thinking about some sort of a pecking order, because when we get back in August the repetitions are going to be diluted a little bit because Terrelle will be back in there getting some repetitions.?

http://blog.dispatch.com/buckeyesblog/2011/04/tressel_no_clear_no1_qb_at_the.shtml

Ohio State football: QB depth chart below Terrelle Pryor is muddled
Published: Wednesday, April 13, 2011
By John Kampf
[email protected]

The leader to replace Terrelle Pryor as Ohio State's starting quarterback for the first five games of the season is ...

Good question.

With eight of the 15 spring practices already under his team's belt, Coach Jim Tressel is no closer to naming a front-runner than he was at the beginning of the month.

Pryor, along with four of his teammates, will sit out the first five games of the seasons under penalty for selling memorabilia last year.

That means someone out of a group of four — senior Joe Bauserman, redshirt sophomore Kenny Guiton, redshirt freshman Taylor Graham and true freshman Braxton Miller — will be calling signals in Pryor's absence.

"I wish it was definitive," Tressel said during a Big Ten conference call on Wednesday. "I wish someone was head and shoulders above the others. But at this point, I don't see that."

Tressel said the standout from Tuesday's practice was Guiton. But standouts tend to change from day to day, something that is going to have to change.

Come August, Tressel said, Pryor will be getting a number of repetitions in practice, even though he won't be eligible to play in a game until Week 6 against Nebraska.

There won't be enough practice time for all five quarterbacks to get equal repetitions in August, accentuating the importance of a depth chart somewhat soon.

"I kind of vacillate every day," Tressel said. "We don't have a game tomorrow, so we don't have to make that decision. What we're trying to do is evaluate consistency over time. I think it is critical that by the end of 15 practices that we do start thinking about some sort of pecking order."

Continued...

http://news-herald.com/articles/2011/04/13/sports/nh3883944.txt?viewmode=fullstory

Spring is a season of indecision when it comes to figuring out Ohio State's quarterback pecking order
Published: Wednesday, April 13, 2011
By Doug Lesmerises, The Plain Dealer

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- More than halfway through spring practice, the Ohio State Buckeyes are no closer to finding a starting quarterback for the first five games of the 2011 season than they were at the start of practice.

That's probably good news for every OSU quarterback other than Joe Bauserman.

"I kind of vacillate every day," coach Jim Tressel said Wednesday on a Big Ten conference call, speaking to a group of reporters for the first time since spring practice started. "I wish it was definitive. I wish someone was just head and shoulders about another, but at this point, I don't see that."

A 25-year-old fifth-year senior and former minor-league baseball player, Bauserman is probably the only quarterback who this early could have ended the competition to replace Terrelle Pryor. When the Buckeyes were looking to replace Troy Smith in the spring of 2007, Todd Boeckman, the most experienced candidate, entered the spring No. 1 on the depth chart. By the end of April, the coaches weren't afraid to say Boeckman remained in the top spot, though reps continued to be shared among the three candidates for the job.

Tressel didn't go that route Wednesday, didn't say Bauserman was still in the lead. Watching the reps, Bauserman still takes the majority with the first team, but he apparently hasn't come close to nailing anything down.

"I think Joe's just trying to get the spot, just like everybody else," right tackle J.B. Shugarts said. "He's not saying 'it's my job for the taking.' He knows he has to work as hard as everybody else. He's a veteran guy, so these guys are trying to take his spot, but he's still helping them one on one. I think Joe is a great dude, a great person and a great leader."

Cont...

http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2011/04/spring_is_a_season_of_indecisi.html

 

[OSUK]

I think it is interesting that virtually no one on here - or anyone else I've talked to - thinks Joe Bauserman will be the QB vs. Akron - or wants him to be. And that probably means that is exactly who the QB will be.

Kenny Guiton has the legs, the arm, and a couple of years of practice under his belt. I wanted him to be the #2 last year, and he's my horse in this race.

I'm open to have Graham show me something. You gotta love Miller's talent, but let the kid RS, learn, and see if he can win the job next year.

The thing we can't know is who the guys on the team consider the best leader. Whoever that is, that will be the guy we see against Akron. One hint will be who gets drafted first at QB for the spring game.

 

[Tlangs]

IThe thing we can't know is who the guys on the team consider the best leader. Whoever that is, that will be the guy we see against Akron. One hint will be who gets drafted first at QB for the spring game.

spring game is offense vs. defense, not split squad. They won't be picking teams.

 

[Taosman]

DL says that Graham has passed Guiton and is #2, now. I just don't see that or have heard that from anyone else.
Guiton is on the clock to perform and take a hold of the current #2 spot. He's capable of that I have no doubt, but will he?

 

[Buckskin86]

Breakdown of the QBs so far

Everyone wants to know who's emerging in the QB competition. It's been tough to tell, honestly.

Just from "the naked eye," I have thought that Joe Bauserman has been OK but nothing special, Taylor Graham has been better than I thought, Kenny Guiton makes too many mistakes and Braxton Miller has obvious talent but is not fully in command yet, mentally.

But because we all love stats and quantifying things as much as possible, I reviewed the two scrimmages and broke down the production in a bit more detail. That's really what it will all come down to in the end -- who is producing points, and avoiding mistakes.

Here's what I found:

cont..

http://blog.dispatch.com/buckeyesblog/2011/04/breakdown_of_the_qbs_so_far.shtml

 

[OSUK]

spring game is offense vs. defense, not split squad. They won't be picking teams.

Being an old guy, I guess I was thinking about a few years ago when we didn't know (and apparently the coaching staff didn't know) who would be the QB between Justin Zwick and Troy Smith. The first QB drafted for the spring game was Troy Smith - which ended up being a pretty good indication of who the team thought their leader was - or at least who they valued most.

If they are changing the format, and not doing a draft, then we will not have that hint. I'll take your word for it. I hadn't heard that. Too bad.

 

[Tlangs]

Being an old guy, I guess I was thinking about a few years ago when we didn't know (and apparently the coaching staff didn't know) who would be the QB between Justin Zwick and Troy Smith. The first QB drafted for the spring game was Troy Smith - which ended up being a pretty good indication of who the team thought their leader was - or at least who they valued most.

If they are changing the format, and not doing a draft, then we will not have that hint. I'll take your word for it. I hadn't heard that. Too bad.

It is always interesting to see who gets drafted first when they do the intra squad scrimmage. This year there aren't enough healthly o-lineman to split up into two teams so they are just going offense vs. defense.

 

[Buckskin86]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npuiTKVM58Y"]YouTube - Ohio State football spring breaks with QBs & WRs[/ame]

 

[Buckskin86]

Unsolicited, Gruden then launched into the four fellows competing to replace Pryor, and he started with freshman Braxton Miller.
?They?ve got a hot-shot guy in here from Dayton ? No.5 is all I know. Braxton is his name,? Gruden said of Miller, from the Dayton suburban school of Huber Heights Wayne. ?He?s pretty darn good, too. So they?ve got a lot of guys in the stable as well.?
He was asked what advice he might have for bringing along Miller.
?He just got here (an early enrollee in January), he?s really still a high school player, and all of a sudden he?s potentially ? potentially, now ? going to play for the Ohio State Buckeyes early in the season,? Gruden said. ?So we?ve got to slowly implement our offense with him, teach him and let him gain some confidence along the way.
?And we have to distribute reps with the other guys (senior Joe Bauserman, sophomore Kenny Guiton, redshirt-freshman Taylor Graham) and see where they are.
?It is really a blessing in disguise that Terrelle?s foot is being rehabbed and he?s not able to take reps (this spring), because when you?re giving reps to four or five guys, it?s hard.
?The challenge is to settle in on two guys who are going to take the majority of reps in training camp and see who can lead this offense.?
Tomorrow?s spring game, actually, a controlled scrimmage this year, will be the last of 15 spring practices, so for the most part it likely will be judged as such.
?But I do want to see how they (quarterbacks) handle game day, the pressure of a live scrimmage,? Gruden said. ?There are certain guys who rev it up on game day and certain guys that don?t. And I think that?s what coach (Jim) Tressel needs to find out.?

http://blog.dispatch.com/buckeyesblog/2011/04/gruden_still_likes_pryor_asses.shtml

 

[jwinslow]

gruden_still_likes_pryor_asses.shtml

I miss the days of print media. Url headlines just aren't as humorous.

 

[Taosman]

Joe B. is the guy unless someone else clearly is better taking care of the ball. That's what it all will come down to. Don't hurt the team.
The return of "Tressel Ball" at least for 5 games.

 

[cbrian815]

Joe B. is the guy unless someone else clearly is better taking care of the ball. That's what it all will come down to. Don't hurt the team.
The return of "Tressel Ball" at least for 5 games.

If we don`t have a qb capable of going out there and winning football games we lose to one of msu or miami. I am of the opinion, right or wrong, we need a guy who has the mindset of TP. I want a guy that can absolutely win the game for us. There is no way we are going to run on teams that will commit 8 or 9 guys to the box. I know our running game has been better the last few years with Boom and a better oline....but we are still no wisky.

I for one hope the staff picks a guy that really has the ability to throw the ball around and strike some fear in our opponents. I dont care who it is but I cant imagine the staff not picking the guy who gives us the best chance to score lots of points. Go Bucks

 

[Buckskin86]

Ohio State football: Four-QB race could be three after today
Saturday, April 23, 2011
By Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

This spring, Ohio State's quarterbacks have been roaring four-wide down the straightaway. But they are about to enter a turn, and something has to give.

All eyes are on the quarterbacks today as the Buckeyes conclude their spring practice session with a jersey scrimmage in Ohio Stadium, featuring an offense-vs.-defense format.

Joe Bauserman, Kenny Guiton, Taylor Graham and Braxton Miller have been locked in a spirited competition to earn the starting job for the first five games this fall while starter Terrelle Pryor serves a suspension for NCAA rules violations.

It has been highly unusual, to say the least, in part because all four are viewed as viable candidates. There is no lip service being paid - all have been given good opportunities to step up.

The consensus is that the job cannot be won in spring ball, and today is not do-or-die. Final decisions will wait until preseason camp in August. But the feeling is there is a definite risk of being left behind in the race.

It's unlikely the Buckeyes can go into August giving all four quarterbacks the same number of repetitions as they have been getting, particularly because Pryor is expected to return after sitting out spring practice while recovering from foot surgery.

While Pryor clearly won't be practicing with the first team in preseason, he will get some reps, which have to come from someone else's allotment.

"I imagine they'll have to go into camp with two or three guys" realistically competing to start, former Ohio State quarterback Justin Zwick said. "There's just not that many reps to go around. So you could definitely hurt yourself (in spring). They have to narrow it down." In his own, nondefinitive way, coach Jim Tressel said as much last week.

"I would hope you couldn't lose the quarterback job in the spring, but maybe you could," Tressel said. "If we looked at the whole body of work and it wasn't what it needed to be, because the reality is reps will be much harder to earn in preseason."

Cont..

http://www.dispatch.com/live/conten...-race-could-be-three-after-today.html?sid=101

Gruden Impressed with Buckeye Quarterbacks
By Brandon Castel

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Jon Gruden knew all about Ohio State football before he ever stepped off the plane Wednesday.

A native of Sandusky, Ohio, Gruden played at both Muskingum College and the University of Dayton before going on to success as a head football coach in the NFL. Today he serves as a football analyst for ESPN and a color commentator on Monday Night Football, but it always feels good to come home.

“I really love it. I grew up in Ohio. My mom’s from Ohio. My dad’s from Ohio. My brother just signed up with the Cincinnati Bengals, so I get excited about coming back to Ohio State,” Gruden said Friday after serving as the keynote speaker for the 80th annual Ohio State Football Clinic.

“Woody Hayes is a big reason I got into coaching. He was my idol as a kid.”

Cont..

http://www.the-ozone.net/football/2011/SpringFootball/gruden_osuqbs.html