Cleveland PD
OHIO STATE FOOTBALL
Smith's efficiency plenty sufficient
Wednesday, November 02, 2005Doug Lesmerises
Plain Dealer Reporter
Columbus- Passing efficiency incorporates all the statistics that quantify a quarterback's success: attempts, completions, yardage, touchdowns and interceptions.
"I don't think anybody understands it except the guy who comes up with it," Ohio State receiver Anthony Gonzalez said.
The equation reveals something about the play of a quarterback that goes beyond how prolific he is, beyond just deep throws or a crazy number of touchdowns. It helps identify the quarterbacks that get it done within the framework of their offenses.
Nationally, Virginia Tech's Marcus Vick, USC's Matt Leinart, UCLA's Drew Olson, Michigan State's Drew Stanton, Texas' Vince Young, Notre Dame's Brady Quinn and Bowling Green's Omar Jacobs are all among the top 10.
When it comes to Big Ten play, in conference games where everyone is on equal footing, it's not Stanton who ranks first in passing efficiency. It's not Iowa's Drew Tate or Northwestern's Brett Basanez or Penn State's Michael Robinson.
It's the man who has been watching extra film after practice on Tuesdays, sessions which have made him unavailable to speak with reporters about his progress that has changed this offense. We don't know what Troy Smith would say about his standing as the most efficient passer in the league.
We do know how he might say it - calmly. Coaches and teammates have noticed a change in Smith, who has never been afraid to lead in his way, to demand more from himself and those on the field with him. If he may have been a bit too quick to point out the errors of teammates in the past, that doesn't seem to happen as often anymore.
"He used to get down on himself for not making plays or on receivers for not catching the ball or linemen for not blocking," receiver Santonio Holmes said. "He doesn't do that now. He goes to the sideline, and he thinks more about what he has to do than what other guys have to do."
That time in the film room may have something to do with it.
"The game is starting to slow down for him," receivers coach Darrell Hazell said. "He's seeing things better, and a lot of that has to be contributed to watching more film and studying the game a little bit more. He's been a much more calm player the last few weeks than he was early in the season. He's really starting to relax."
As Smith has come around, so has the offense. Holmes admitted he wondered early in the season if the Buckeyes' offense would ever straighten out. When Ohio State hosts Illinois on Saturday, there should be no worries about whether the offense will score enough points. Coach Jim Tressel admits the past two wins against Indiana and Minnesota haven't been against the toughest defenses in the conference. The Buckeyes aren't looking better only because the quality of the opponents has diminished.
"At some point, you have to say that we're a good offense," Gonzalez said. "[We've had] three straight weeks of 35 points or more, so this offense is picking up steam. And I feel like the coaches are giving us more freedom, not that they were hampering us. But you feel like not only are we performing well, but they are seeing that and they want us to take that next step. And maybe that step is mental, because physically, we had it."
The freedom can be seen in what Smith does at the line of scrimmage. Gonzalez said that against Minnesota, for the first time this season, Smith was given the option to check to a run or pass play once the Buckeyes lined up and he read the defense. Smith did it several times - including once calling for a pass and hitting Gonzalez for a touchdown.
"As he becomes more comfortable, maybe the coaches are becoming more comfortable trusting him more with more decisions," Gonzalez said. "And he's making great decisions, which is nice."
Tressel said that comfort may be coming later in the year due in part to Smith's suspension for taking money from a booster, which cost him the Alamo Bowl last year, the first game of this season and, as a result, some valuable practice time.
"He went through a period from December, really, through the first game where he didn't get to saddle up behind the center the whole time and do it every day, every snap," Tressel said.
Watching Smith now, was a slower climb to this level of play this season the unseen part of that penalty?
"I suppose you could draw that discussion or argument or whatever," Tressel said, "but [there's] nothing we can do about it because you have to do what is the right thing to do and go from there."
On the field, Tressel has seen what Smith has done right the past three weeks. He hopes to see it more against the Illini, when Smith will be fully recovered from the tackle that left him with a headache and gash in his chin at Minnesota.
Even if the formula is complicated, Tressel knows what Smith's passing efficiency, which also has him ranked 12th in the nation in all his games, means to the Buckeyes.
"What it says to me is that's why we're contending," Tressel said. "If he remains a top guy passing efficiency-wise, then we will contend. I think it's not a surprise or a coincidence that that's the case."
