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QB Troy Smith (2006 Heisman Trophy Winner)

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MililaniBuckeye said:
I just rewatched the clip of Smith's TD bomb to Holmes...it was absolutely perfectly thrown.
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I was watching this game with a buddy of mine who, before this game, wasn't sold on Smith. After his first TD bomb to Ginn, he told me that it was a crappy pass. To which, I replied, what was so crappy about a perfectly placed fifty yard bomb?

His response? It wasn't a good spiral.

The Primus song, "Harold of the Rocks" immediately came to my mind. Particularly the lines, "He shook his hand, then walked away." This is what I basically did. Needless to say, I'll be bringing this up from now on whenever we talk football.
 
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You know what I liked that was not quite... "good" about his performance?

When Troy was taken down for the sack and fumble, did you see him fighting from the DEnd?

Sure, it wasn't the smartest play, but Troy is a fuckin WARRIOR. Looked like he was gonna rip heads off. Too bad he lost the ball. :P

But seriously, the Teddy + Troy Train has been off the chain these last two games. It can only blossom next year.

I used to think next year it would be 1. Gonzo 2. Ginn 3. Hall, but now I think it might actually be 1. Ginn 2. Gonzo 3. Hall. Ginn has really helped Troy up his game.
 
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tedginn05 said:
I must be going going crazy. Do I remember Smith as a starting KR in 2003? Back with Maurice Hall?
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I don't even recall how much Hall was back there, as six of his ten returns came in the Michigan game. It was just a mish-mash of guys back there, with Childress given time alongside Gamble early in the season. When Gamble had his costly fumble against Wisconsin, they gave his PR duties to Jenkins (Santonio got a couple but had fumbling problems of his own back then), and put Smith and Roy Hall (of all people) back on kickoffs for a few weeks.
 
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1/3/06

COMMENTARY
Smith’s play at quarterback augurs well for next year

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

BOB HUNTER

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</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>MIKE MUNDEN | DISPATCH </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Troy Smith of Ohio State runs for a first down in the first half. </TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle>
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TEMPE, Ariz. — When Troy Smith was asked if he knew where the national championship game is next year, he broke into one of those devious, quarterback-who-swalloweda-defensive-canary smiles.
Oh, yeah. He knew. He definitely knew.
"The national championship is here next year," he said. "We like that."
He didn’t lick his lips when he said that, but why wouldn’t he?
In recent years, the Fiesta Bowl has become something of a branch office for the Ohio State football program. OSU has been here three of the past four years and won all three games. Last night, the Buckeyes beat Notre Dame 34-20. Three years ago, they beat Miami 31-24 in two overtimes to win the national title. Their 35-28 win over Kansas State two years ago wasn’t so bad, either.
If the Buckeyes aren’t set up to be back here again — this season’s 10-2 record is a good example of how one or two slip-ups can derail a title bid before it gets a good start — Smith’s performance against the Irish is a good indication why it isn’t unrealistic to think that way.
The Buckeyes gained 617 yards and the junior quarterback had a hand in 408 yards. Aside from his 342 yards passing, including two touchdowns, he also rushed for 66 yards on 13 carries. Only once has an OSU quarterback totaled more yards: Art Schlichter had 412 total yards in a loss to Florida State in 1981.
"It was my biggest fear going into the game," Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said. "Sure enough, here it is the first third down of the game and he runs for a first down. That was one of the biggest problems we had in the first half. We couldn’t get off the field on third down. ... That was my biggest fear going into the game."
Weis has been given all kinds of credit for what he has done with the Irish offense, but Smith, Ted Ginn Jr., Santonio Holmes, Antonio Pittman and company. stole the show, and all but Holmes are going to be back.
While the OSU defense is going to suffer significant losses in the off-season, Smith’s development is the best sign that the Buckeyes offense may be able to compensate for the defensive losses.
"Hopefully next year, (this) sets us up pretty good," Smith said. "Probably for the last four or five years, we’ve been known as a defensive team. I’m sure we still will be known as a defensive team, even though we lose some major guys. Now it’s going to be more of a balance."
Smith’s development this season would seem to guarantee that much, and might tilt the table to the offensive side. Because of a two-game suspension Smith was given at the end of last season for accepting money from a booster, he missed the Alamo Bowl last year against Oklahoma State and started the season in a quarterback competition with Justin Zwick for the second straight year.
After Zwick led OSU to win over Miami University in the opener, Smith came off the bench in week two against Texas and shared the duties with Zwick in a 25-22 loss. It took Smith awhile to get back in stride, but since the 17-10 loss to Penn State in week five, Smith has been steady and impressive.
If he had started the season the way he played against Michigan and Notre Dame, he likely would have been a strong Heisman Trophy candidate. As it is, he seems certain to be on everybody’s Heisman list starting next season.
People have always thought of him as a running quarterback, but a few more games like this and all that is bound to change.
"You know, it doesn’t really matter to me," he said. "I think what matters is that people respect our offense as a whole, that I am the leader of the offense and that I’m going to follow our game plan."
Even the losses to Texas and Penn State are fine with Smith. While these Buckeyes would have at least a shot at beating the Longhorns and maybe even No. 1 Southern California, he knows wins in those early games might have changed things.
"I’m a firm believer in that everything happens for a reason," Smith said. "We had to suffer those losses to become the team we are today. I wouldn’t take anything back."

Bob Hunter is a sports columnist for The Dispatch .

[email protected]
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1/3/06

Smith maturing on and off field

Tuesday, January 3, 2006

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TEMPE, Ariz. - It was nearly a year ago when the kid with the big smile felt lost. Troy Smith was sitting at home in Cleveland with plenty of time away from his Ohio State teammates to ponder his future.

Oddly enough, on the same night Smith completed his comeback — with a 34-20 win over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl — his one-time close friend watched his life hit rock bottom. Maurice Clarett turned himself in to police, probably after watching the Buckeyes win another Fiesta Bowl on national TV.

Two players, two young men, a fork in the road.

One made the right decision.

The other, seemingly, never does. Clarett was wanted in Columbus on aggravated robbery charges.

Smith just feels wanted by Columbus now.

His coming-out party came last season, when he lit up Michigan. Then he was suspended for the Alamo Bowl and the first game of this season because he took $500 from a booster. There have been other poor decisions by Smith. He is learning, though.

On Monday at Sun Devil Stadium, Smith was named Offensive Player of the Game after throwing for 342 yards and two long touchdowns. He also ran for 66 yards. His 408 total yards was just 5 shy of breaking Art Schlichter’s Buckeyes record of 412, set in 1981.

All around him, there are examples of failed Buckeyes, one time almost too big for Columbus.

Clarett.

Schlichter.

Life decisions, made in a split second, can change a person’s life, his legacy.

Smith is changing his, too.

With his senior season to go, Smith is perhaps on his way to becoming one of the great Ohio State quarterbacks. Michigan wins, 300-plus yard games and now a pasting of Notre Dame.

Yet, before Monday night, few college football observers around the country gave Smith credit for being one of the game’s better quarterbacks.

“It doesn’t really matter to me,” Smith said, becoming more and more Tresselized each week. “I think what matters is as long as people respect our offense as a whole, and respect us to know that I am the leader of our offense ... that’s fine with me.”

Next year, Smith will begin the season as a Heisman Trophy candidate. He whips teams his legs and arm.

Notre Dame Head Coach Charlie Weis warned his defensive coaches about Smith.

“He didn’t disappoint,” Weis said. “His best football is ahead of him. He’s definitely on the rise.”

Monday night’s performance wasn’t just the 56-yard pass to Ted Ginn Jr. or the 85-yard touchdown to Santonio Holmes. Though those were important to setting the tone for the game.

More important was the way Smith played in the fourth quarter. He converted third downs. He kept plays alive. His third-and-11 escape that led to a 15-yard pass to Anthony Gonzalez may have been the biggest play of the game.

It certainly was the one that broke Notre Dame’s back.

“Right now, there’s not a quarterback in the country — Matt Leinhart, Brady Quinn, Vince Young, anybody — I won’t take any of them over Troy Smith,” Gonzalez said. “People are realizing now how good he is. He doesn’t make mistakes. He’s that good.”

Gonzalez said he wasn’t surprised, in the end, this wasn’t much of a game. Not on the scoreboard.

He credited Smith being the key reason.

“This is what I thought it would be,” Gonzalez said. “I didn’t think they could stop Troy. Actually, I thought we’d score more points. We should have scored more points.”

Ohio State left at least 13 points on the field. Smith fumbled inside the Notre Dame 10 when it looked like the Irish couldn’t stop him or the offense. Two field goals were blocked.

How teams and players respond to their mistakes, though, is what matters.
“You’re relationship with your coach means a lot,” Smith said. “You are a coach on the field. ... Coach Tressel gets after us at times. For the most part, mistakes are going to happen. We all know that. It’s about bouncing back.”

Maybe the only thing Smith does better than be a quarterback is bounce back. Reach Repository sports writer Todd Porter at (330) 580-8340 or e-mail:

[email protected]

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Smith is awesome. The growth he's shown this year is just incredible. I doubted him at first- I was against his getting the starting nod, but he's really taken the opportunity and made the best of it. He's going to be a monster next year.

This is what I like best about him, though....
"To me, this year"s seniors, this group of guys on the field, that's what it was about. I don't like taking a lot of credit for what goes on on the field because it takes 11 guys."
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