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More impressive tOSU true freshman performance leading to a national title?

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More impressive tOSU true freshman performance leading to a national title?

  • 2002-03 Maurice Clarett

    Votes: 18 60.0%

  • 2024-25 Jeremiah Smith

    Votes: 12 40.0%
  • Total voters
    30
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RugbyBuck said:
I think the inquiry between the two is: Which play by a true freshman in a national championship game was more critical? I honestly don't have an answer, but there are obviously only two choices: the MoC Strip and 3rdandJerimiah.
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this is a tough one…

there’s a reasonable chance osu would’ve won without third-and-jj.

without clarett’s strip (and the ensuing field goal on that possession) miami would have won that game.
 
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RhodeIslandBuck said:
Wasn't JT a RS freshman?
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Correct, so the poll wouldn't include him. I voted JJ Smith almost begrudgingly, only because MoC was so freaking good and I had hand written "Maurice Clarett for Heisman" signs that I brought to the stadium as a middle school kid. When we beat Washington State when Game Day was in town, I came into the stadium with that sign and the guy at the gate stopped me to let me know I forgot the extra T on his last name. He had a black marker and added it for me to help get it on TV during the game, which it did. That whole season for MoC was amazing, but him on the strip after the INT in the Natty surpasses a stat sheet and his games that I saw live.

With that preface, I voted JJ because dear lord...we all knew he was going to be good. We had no idea that we had a guy that could dominate the NFL at age 18. I've never seen a player that talented in many years of watching CFB. JJ was the most ridiculously dominate true frosh I have seen and all due respect to MoC (see the above), it isn't close to me. The only caveat is that JJ had many more games to prove it (we are going to run into that debate in the future), but proved it he did (Yoda voice).

I am curious as to our historians here would say though - Is there a player before my time (born in 1988, can only remember games from '95 and on pretty much) that could compare as a true frosh to JJ? I am looking at you @LordJeffBuck and @BB73 because you always deliver. That guy is Megatron before Megatron became Megatron. There is a reason that 80% of the time Howard was looking to JJ and only him.
 
Upvote 0
shetuck said:
this is a tough one…

there’s a reasonable chance osu would’ve won without third-and-jj.

without clarett’s strip (and the ensuing field goal on that possession) miami would have won that game.
Click to expand...
Dammit, you said exactly what I was thinking a minute before my keyboard was done. MoC making that play was simply unfathomable and changed the course to a Natty.

But as a body of work perspective, JJ for sure. MoC didn't have the amount of games to get there and had injuries, so it might be an unfair comparison. But JJ dominated and stayed healthy through the longest schedule of CFB history. So I give JJ the slight nod.
 
Upvote 0
RB07OSU said:
Correct, so the poll wouldn't include him. I voted JJ Smith almost begrudgingly, only because MoC was so freaking good and I had hand written "Maurice Clarett for Heisman" signs that I brought to the stadium as a middle school kid. When we beat Washington State when Game Day was in town, I came into the stadium with that sign and the guy at the gate stopped me to let me know I forgot the extra T on his last name. He had a black marker and added it for me to help get it on TV during the game, which it did. That whole season for MoC was amazing, but him on the strip after the INT in the Natty surpasses a stat sheet and his games that I saw live.

With that preface, I voted JJ because dear lord...we all knew he was going to be good. We had no idea that we had a guy that could dominate the NFL at age 18. I've never seen a player that talented in many years of watching CFB. JJ was the most ridiculously dominate true frosh I have seen and all due respect to MoC (see the above), it isn't close to me. The only caveat is that JJ had many more games to prove it (we are going to run into that debate in the future), but proved it he did (Yoda voice).

I am curious as to our historians here would say though - Is there a player before my time (born in 1988, can only remember games from '95 and on pretty much) that could compare as a true frosh to JJ? I am looking at you @LordJeffBuck and @BB73 because you always deliver. That guy is Megatron before Megatron became Megatron. There is a reason that 80% of the time Howard was looking to JJ and only him.
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Orlando Pace. Katzenmoyer had incredible freshman production but wasn't an absolute genetic freak like Smith.
 
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Jagdaddy said:
Orlando Pace. Katzenmoyer had incredible freshman production but wasn't an absolute genetic freak like Smith.
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See, I knew I was forgetting some players. Pace was the same type of frosh freak that Smith was, just at a position that we easily forget. Big Kat deserves mention as well. But I still think JJ takes the cake at the end of the day, ridiculous season.
 
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Mo was a force and was basically the whole 2002 offense. But Smith was pretty much the best player in the country at his position as a true freshman and might have had the best single season for a WR in program history, regardless of age/class. Even games that he didn't impact statistically (Cotton Bowl), his presence still had a huge impact on the game as he was drawing double coverage allowing other guys to get open.
 
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Upvote 0
shetuck said:
this is a tough one…

there’s a reasonable chance osu would’ve won without third-and-jj.

without clarett’s strip (and the ensuing field goal on that possession) miami would have won that game.
Click to expand...

I kind of agree but then I think, there is a very reasonable chance the '24 team doesn't get out of the first two rounds without Smith.

This is a tough call
 
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