BuckeyeTillIDie
The North Remembers
Cool article, grad. I missed a few of the striking similarities in the careers of TS and VY until reading that.
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- heisman quarterback troy smith
Troy took over the #1 spot on ESPN's Heisman Watch page this afternoon, and TGII made a move up the chart as well.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/heisman06/index
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/heisman06/index
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Thanks for that. Oh yeah, and thanks for reminding me what an arse Jim Donnan is. One needs to keep presence of mind about these things.
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Yeah. Sometimes I wonder if Donnan just has issues with Tressel/OSU since JT knocked off Marshall twice in D1AA title games while Donnan was Marshall's head coach. That said, Donnan did vote TS #3, so that leaves someone else in their pool giving Troy a 5th place vote.Thanks for that. Oh yeah, and thanks for reminding me what an arse Jim Donnan is. One needs to keep presence of mind about these things.
Regardless, 14 of 15 of ESPN's 'personalities' voted Troy in the Top 3, and at least 5 voters changed their #1 pick from Brady Quinn to Troy.
I know ESPN polls don't really mean squat, but this is a panel of ESPN writers and broadcasters, and we all know how powerful their words can be. If these guys expend 50% of the energy behind Troy's Heisman campaign as they gave to Quinn in the offseason, Gene Smith can schedule installation of some new trophy cases at the WHAC.
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OSUBuckeye4Life
"THE" Ohio State Buckeyes
Unofficially, Ohio State’s Troy Smith has supplanted Brady Quinn as the Heisman favorite after throwing for a career-best three touchdowns and 298 yards against Northern Illinois. In the game, Huskie RB Garrett Wolfe accounted for 287 of NIU’s 324 total yards
http://cfn.scout.com/2/564228.html
http://cfn.scout.com/2/564228.html
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ABJ
Smith penning sequel to Young's super script
Ohio State quarterback knows what beating Texas could do for senior season
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Texas quarterback Vince Young used the nationally televised game against Ohio State last Sept. 10 to launch himself into the country's sports consciousness. Buckeyes quarterback Troy Smith hopes to make the same leap Saturday.
Young found Limas Sweed on a 24-yard touchdown pass with about two minutes remaining in the No. 2 Longhorns' 25-22 victory over the No. 4 Buckeyes. Young, 6-foot-4, 233 pounds, entered the game considered merely a runner. He completed 18-of-29 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns to go with his 76 yards rushing on 20 carries.
``He ended the game the way he said he could, by throwing the ball,'' Smith said.
The Longhorns used the confidence that they gained in Columbus to reel off 13 consecutive victories and defeat Southern Cal 41-38 in the Rose Bowl to capture the national title. Young finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting, won the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's top quarterback and the Maxwell Award given to the top player.
He was the third overall pick in the NFL Draft, going to the Tennessee Titans. He signed a five-year, $58 million contract ($25.7 million guaranteed).
Smith, Ohio State's fifth-year senior quarterback from Cleveland Glenville, now finds himself in a similar situation.
He is being touted as a Heisman Trophy candidate. The Buckeyes are No. 1 going into the nationally televised game against the No. 2 Longhorns on Saturday in Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
Like Young, Smith had to convince his coaches that he could become an all-around quarterback. His position was listed as ``athlete'' when he signed with Ohio State.
Another standout performance would put Smith among the nation's elite.
What was Smith longing for after OSU's season-opening victory over Northern Illinois last Saturday?
``I wish Vince were still here so we could have, you know, an all-out battle,'' Smith said.
ABC television announcers will have to talk about the mythical battle instead. Smith's leadership and athleticism have already drawn comparisons with Young. It's a parallel that coaches on both sides believe is valid.
``They're the same guy, one's taller,'' Texas coach Mack Brown said. Smith is 6-1. ``Because they run so well, they don't get the credit for throwing the way they do. Vince signed a $50 million contract, and I expect Troy will be signing a similar contract next year.''
Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said he didn't study Young in 2005 to see what kind of throws he could make. Other than the fact that Smith and Young can beat an opponent with the run or pass, Tressel cited an intangible they share.
``They both seem to have a sense about them that they're in charge,'' Tressel said. ``To me, the most important one to a team is what they both have -- command.''
OSU quarterbacks coach Joe Daniels also sees the similarities.
``I think the world of Vince. He's unbelievable. I love to watch him,'' Daniels said. ``What Vince showed last year was the ability to throw. He's always been great at running. I don't know speedwise where they rank. Troy has that same kind of quickness and body control and athletic ability.''
Brown can also envision Tressel reining in Smith's running just like he did with Young last year. Smith had just one carry in last week's opener, losing one yard.
``After the game at Ohio State we instructed Vince to run less,'' Brown said. ``We had a chance for a really special season. There were games I didn't have a called run, he was so important to the program and the team. Against Kansas, Vince had minus-6 rushing. I told him not to run at all.''
Smith tries to ignore the comparisons.
``I try not to think about that,'' he said. ``Vince Young is Vince Young, and Troy Smith is Troy Smith. It's two totally different situations.''
Smith wouldn't elaborate as to what the different situations are. Brown doesn't seem to think they're all that far apart.
``Troy is as good as any quarterback in the country,'' Brown said. ``You watch him in the Michigan game... the Notre Dame game was absolutely amazing.
``He's so strong with his legs, but he throws the ball downfield so well. He's so accurate... that (36-yard touchdown) pass to Santonio Holmes on third-and-(8) last year. He's a tremendous threat. They expect him to do what Vince did for us.''
Smith continues to prove he's one of the best big-game players in Ohio State history. In January's Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame, he threw for 342 yards and two touchdowns and racked up 408 yards of total offense, becoming only the second Buckeyes player to go over 400 yards in a game. He engineered his second consecutive comeback victory over Michigan last November, passing for 300 yards. Against the Wolverines as a sophomore, he ran for 145 yards and recorded 386 total, the most by any OSU player against Michigan.
Asked what makes him so good in big games, Smith said, ``Your big-time players and leaders have to step up and be well aware of what's going on around you. You can't shy away when your team needs you.''
Daniels knows what makes Smith excel against the Michigans of the world.
``It's the quality every great quarterback has, he's a great competitor,'' Daniels said. ``In everything we do at practice, Troy is a competitor. That five- or 10-minute period of full scrimmage, that's the same as the Super Bowl or the Michigan game to him.''
Smith played only about half the game against Texas a year ago. He rotated with Justin Zwick after being suspended for the 2004 Alamo Bowl and 2005 opener for taking money from a booster. Smith completed 5-of-11 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown and ran 13 times for 27 yards.
Some fans believe that Tressel's juggling of Zwick and Smith cost the Buckeyes that game.
``I didn't think about it that way,'' Smith said. ``People forget the pass that was bobbled (by tight end Ryan Hamby) in the end zone was a pass (Zwick) threw. If we catch that, the game's over.''
Smith prefers to concentrate on film study and personal improvement. Daniels said over the summer Smith even learned the pass-blocking schemes.
Smith's approach has redshirt freshman receiver Brian Hartline of GlenOak High School sounding somewhat awestruck.
``What you guys see, we see in practice every day,'' Hartline said. ``If not, he's better in practice. He's everything everybody thinks he is. It's just now they let him run our offense and execute the way he knows he can execute it.
``He intensifies his game and makes himself better every day. I can't imagine where he's going to end up against Michigan.''
Smith has to hope he ends up in the same place as Young. For Smith, that would be standing in the Arizona Cardinals' stadium in Glendale, Ariz., after the national championship game Jan. 8 with confetti falling around him like giant snowflakes.
``It was a storybook year for him,'' Smith said. ``His junior year he went undefeated and won the national championship. That's what every quarterback in college football would love to do.''
Smith penning sequel to Young's super script
Ohio State quarterback knows what beating Texas could do for senior season
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Texas quarterback Vince Young used the nationally televised game against Ohio State last Sept. 10 to launch himself into the country's sports consciousness. Buckeyes quarterback Troy Smith hopes to make the same leap Saturday.
Young found Limas Sweed on a 24-yard touchdown pass with about two minutes remaining in the No. 2 Longhorns' 25-22 victory over the No. 4 Buckeyes. Young, 6-foot-4, 233 pounds, entered the game considered merely a runner. He completed 18-of-29 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns to go with his 76 yards rushing on 20 carries.
``He ended the game the way he said he could, by throwing the ball,'' Smith said.
The Longhorns used the confidence that they gained in Columbus to reel off 13 consecutive victories and defeat Southern Cal 41-38 in the Rose Bowl to capture the national title. Young finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting, won the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's top quarterback and the Maxwell Award given to the top player.
He was the third overall pick in the NFL Draft, going to the Tennessee Titans. He signed a five-year, $58 million contract ($25.7 million guaranteed).
Smith, Ohio State's fifth-year senior quarterback from Cleveland Glenville, now finds himself in a similar situation.
He is being touted as a Heisman Trophy candidate. The Buckeyes are No. 1 going into the nationally televised game against the No. 2 Longhorns on Saturday in Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
Like Young, Smith had to convince his coaches that he could become an all-around quarterback. His position was listed as ``athlete'' when he signed with Ohio State.
Another standout performance would put Smith among the nation's elite.
What was Smith longing for after OSU's season-opening victory over Northern Illinois last Saturday?
``I wish Vince were still here so we could have, you know, an all-out battle,'' Smith said.
ABC television announcers will have to talk about the mythical battle instead. Smith's leadership and athleticism have already drawn comparisons with Young. It's a parallel that coaches on both sides believe is valid.
``They're the same guy, one's taller,'' Texas coach Mack Brown said. Smith is 6-1. ``Because they run so well, they don't get the credit for throwing the way they do. Vince signed a $50 million contract, and I expect Troy will be signing a similar contract next year.''
Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said he didn't study Young in 2005 to see what kind of throws he could make. Other than the fact that Smith and Young can beat an opponent with the run or pass, Tressel cited an intangible they share.
``They both seem to have a sense about them that they're in charge,'' Tressel said. ``To me, the most important one to a team is what they both have -- command.''
OSU quarterbacks coach Joe Daniels also sees the similarities.
``I think the world of Vince. He's unbelievable. I love to watch him,'' Daniels said. ``What Vince showed last year was the ability to throw. He's always been great at running. I don't know speedwise where they rank. Troy has that same kind of quickness and body control and athletic ability.''
Brown can also envision Tressel reining in Smith's running just like he did with Young last year. Smith had just one carry in last week's opener, losing one yard.
``After the game at Ohio State we instructed Vince to run less,'' Brown said. ``We had a chance for a really special season. There were games I didn't have a called run, he was so important to the program and the team. Against Kansas, Vince had minus-6 rushing. I told him not to run at all.''
Smith tries to ignore the comparisons.
``I try not to think about that,'' he said. ``Vince Young is Vince Young, and Troy Smith is Troy Smith. It's two totally different situations.''
Smith wouldn't elaborate as to what the different situations are. Brown doesn't seem to think they're all that far apart.
``Troy is as good as any quarterback in the country,'' Brown said. ``You watch him in the Michigan game... the Notre Dame game was absolutely amazing.
``He's so strong with his legs, but he throws the ball downfield so well. He's so accurate... that (36-yard touchdown) pass to Santonio Holmes on third-and-(8) last year. He's a tremendous threat. They expect him to do what Vince did for us.''
Smith continues to prove he's one of the best big-game players in Ohio State history. In January's Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame, he threw for 342 yards and two touchdowns and racked up 408 yards of total offense, becoming only the second Buckeyes player to go over 400 yards in a game. He engineered his second consecutive comeback victory over Michigan last November, passing for 300 yards. Against the Wolverines as a sophomore, he ran for 145 yards and recorded 386 total, the most by any OSU player against Michigan.
Asked what makes him so good in big games, Smith said, ``Your big-time players and leaders have to step up and be well aware of what's going on around you. You can't shy away when your team needs you.''
Daniels knows what makes Smith excel against the Michigans of the world.
``It's the quality every great quarterback has, he's a great competitor,'' Daniels said. ``In everything we do at practice, Troy is a competitor. That five- or 10-minute period of full scrimmage, that's the same as the Super Bowl or the Michigan game to him.''
Smith played only about half the game against Texas a year ago. He rotated with Justin Zwick after being suspended for the 2004 Alamo Bowl and 2005 opener for taking money from a booster. Smith completed 5-of-11 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown and ran 13 times for 27 yards.
Some fans believe that Tressel's juggling of Zwick and Smith cost the Buckeyes that game.
``I didn't think about it that way,'' Smith said. ``People forget the pass that was bobbled (by tight end Ryan Hamby) in the end zone was a pass (Zwick) threw. If we catch that, the game's over.''
Smith prefers to concentrate on film study and personal improvement. Daniels said over the summer Smith even learned the pass-blocking schemes.
Smith's approach has redshirt freshman receiver Brian Hartline of GlenOak High School sounding somewhat awestruck.
``What you guys see, we see in practice every day,'' Hartline said. ``If not, he's better in practice. He's everything everybody thinks he is. It's just now they let him run our offense and execute the way he knows he can execute it.
``He intensifies his game and makes himself better every day. I can't imagine where he's going to end up against Michigan.''
Smith has to hope he ends up in the same place as Young. For Smith, that would be standing in the Arizona Cardinals' stadium in Glendale, Ariz., after the national championship game Jan. 8 with confetti falling around him like giant snowflakes.
``It was a storybook year for him,'' Smith said. ``His junior year he went undefeated and won the national championship. That's what every quarterback in college football would love to do.''
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Link
O'BRIEN WATCH
BUCKEYES' QB JUST TUNING UP
Star-Telegram college football writer Wendell Barnhouse assesses the top candidates for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award:
1. Troy Smith, Ohio State: The senior tuned up for Saturday's game in Austin with a near-flawless opener.
2. John David Booty, USC: In his first start, Booty played better than his predecessor, Matt Leinart, played in his first start.
3. Erik Ainge, Tennessee: If the junior continues to listen to wise and wonderful offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe, he could be a season-long contender.
Waiting list: Brady Quinn, Notre Dame; Chris Leak, Florida; Chad Henne, Michigan; Drew Tate, Iowa; Brian Brohm, Louisville; Brandon Cox, Auburn; Jordan Palmer, UT-El Paso.
O'BRIEN WATCH
BUCKEYES' QB JUST TUNING UP
Star-Telegram college football writer Wendell Barnhouse assesses the top candidates for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award:
1. Troy Smith, Ohio State: The senior tuned up for Saturday's game in Austin with a near-flawless opener.
2. John David Booty, USC: In his first start, Booty played better than his predecessor, Matt Leinart, played in his first start.
3. Erik Ainge, Tennessee: If the junior continues to listen to wise and wonderful offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe, he could be a season-long contender.
Waiting list: Brady Quinn, Notre Dame; Chris Leak, Florida; Chad Henne, Michigan; Drew Tate, Iowa; Brian Brohm, Louisville; Brandon Cox, Auburn; Jordan Palmer, UT-El Paso.
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gobucks19
JT's #1 recruit
I watched that last night, great interview, actually very well done. The non-revenge angle was unique and well received.
Man I am soooo stoked for Sat. If Troy has a game equal to what he had last week and we win, he is in the drivers seat for the Heisman and has OSU in the driver's seat for the National Title.
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Link
Smith concentrating on his arm in 2006
By Bruce Hooley
Special to ESPN.com
It sounds like the temptation will be there for Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith to break from his film study of second-ranked Texas to sneak in an episode or two of "House," "Nip Tuck" or perhaps (Scarlet and) "Grey's Anatomy."
"Playing quarterback is like being a surgeon," Smith said. "That's what my coaches tell me all the time, 'Be a surgeon.' In everything I do, I'm trying to pick apart what the other team does defensively so we can maximize our opportunities and get in the end zone as often as possible."
That explains the Hawkeye Pierce treatment Smith visited upon Northern Illinois in OSU's 35-12 season opener.
It took him less than 12 minutes of the first quarter to throw a pair of touchdown passes to Ted Ginn Jr. and another to Anthony Gonzalez.
That's three scores and 21 points in less time than it took Kramer to drop a Junior Mint from the observation gallery into Elaine's ex-boyfriend's abdomen.
"We have so many weapons on offense, it makes my job easy," Smith said. "All I have to do is execute the play and get the ball to the guy who's open."
Texas may focus on Smith's 18-for-25, 297-yard performance, but another number might be more useful to the Longhorns as they attempt to wrest the No. 1 ranking away from OSU Saturday night in Austin.
Of the 56 offensive plays Smith presided over in the opener, he rushed only once.
That's a dramatic departure from last season, when he wound up the Buckeyes' second-leading rusher with 611 yards and 11 touchdowns.
"Troy Smith to Ohio State is what Vince [Young] has been to us. He's a leader. He's a senior. He's a guy who can make plays with his feet, but he has a great throwing motion and he's very, very accurate. " -- Texas coach Mack Brown on Troy Smith
"Troy can still beat teams running the football, but he's much more comfortable now staying in the pocket and beating teams with his arm," Gonzalez said. "He used to scramble away from pressure and gain yards by running. Now he scrambles away from pressure to buy time and find somebody downfield." Northern put so little pressure on Smith, his uniform didn't need laundering. That allowed him to share the football among eight receivers, with Ginn (4 catches, 123 yards, 2 TDs) and Gonzalez (4-53, 1 TD) getting the biggest pieces.
Throw in tailback Antonio Pittman's 19 carries for 111 yards and one score, plus 50 yards and another touchdown by freshman tailback Chris Wells, and the Longhorns' list of players to watch seems as large as their Godzillatron scoreboard in the Royal Texas Memorial Stadium end zone.
Don't kid yourself, though. Texas coach Mack Brown knows where everything starts for OSU, probably because he witnessed the same phenomenon at close range last season.
"Troy Smith to Ohio State is what Vince [Young] has been to us," Brown said. "He's a leader. He's a senior. He's a guy who can make plays with his feet, but he has a great throwing motion and he's very, very accurate."
Young led the Longhorns downfield last year in Columbus with time ticking away and Texas facing a 22-16 deficit. Even though the Longhorns, by Brown's admission, "did nothing offensively from the second quarter to the fourth quarter," the belief was palpable on the sideline that Young would offer the same rescue he authored to win the 2005 Rose Bowl against Michigan.
Ohio State's players have held that same faith in Smith since he took over as the starter in the middle of his sophomore year.
It took head coach Jim Tressel a little longer to become such an ardent believer.
Remember, after Texas took that 23-22 lead last season, Tressel sent Justin Zwick out for the next series and kept Smith on the sideline.
Zwick attempted a first down scramble and fumbled, leading to the safety that gave the Longhorns a 25-22 victory and the kick-start to their first national championship in 35 years.
Tressel named Smith his full-time quarterback two days later and has reaped 10 wins in 11 games since.
"We talk about [how] a quarterback has to have command," Tressel said. "[Smith and Young] seem to have that. And they both have that ability to beat you [with the] run and pass. Outside of that, I haven't studied Vince Young as to which routes he throws the best … I happen to think, and I've been saying all along, that I think Troy can make all the throws."
So what would Tressel prefer, the experienced quarterback he has now or the lights-out defense his teams have featured three of the last four seasons?
"I wouldn't trade Troy for anybody," he said.
Bruce Hooley covered the Big Ten for 19 years and now hosts a daily talk show on WBNS-AM1460 in Columbus, Ohio.
Smith concentrating on his arm in 2006
By Bruce Hooley
Special to ESPN.com
It sounds like the temptation will be there for Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith to break from his film study of second-ranked Texas to sneak in an episode or two of "House," "Nip Tuck" or perhaps (Scarlet and) "Grey's Anatomy."
"Playing quarterback is like being a surgeon," Smith said. "That's what my coaches tell me all the time, 'Be a surgeon.' In everything I do, I'm trying to pick apart what the other team does defensively so we can maximize our opportunities and get in the end zone as often as possible."
That explains the Hawkeye Pierce treatment Smith visited upon Northern Illinois in OSU's 35-12 season opener.
It took him less than 12 minutes of the first quarter to throw a pair of touchdown passes to Ted Ginn Jr. and another to Anthony Gonzalez.
That's three scores and 21 points in less time than it took Kramer to drop a Junior Mint from the observation gallery into Elaine's ex-boyfriend's abdomen.
"We have so many weapons on offense, it makes my job easy," Smith said. "All I have to do is execute the play and get the ball to the guy who's open."
Texas may focus on Smith's 18-for-25, 297-yard performance, but another number might be more useful to the Longhorns as they attempt to wrest the No. 1 ranking away from OSU Saturday night in Austin.
Of the 56 offensive plays Smith presided over in the opener, he rushed only once.
That's a dramatic departure from last season, when he wound up the Buckeyes' second-leading rusher with 611 yards and 11 touchdowns.
"Troy Smith to Ohio State is what Vince [Young] has been to us. He's a leader. He's a senior. He's a guy who can make plays with his feet, but he has a great throwing motion and he's very, very accurate. " -- Texas coach Mack Brown on Troy Smith
"Troy can still beat teams running the football, but he's much more comfortable now staying in the pocket and beating teams with his arm," Gonzalez said. "He used to scramble away from pressure and gain yards by running. Now he scrambles away from pressure to buy time and find somebody downfield." Northern put so little pressure on Smith, his uniform didn't need laundering. That allowed him to share the football among eight receivers, with Ginn (4 catches, 123 yards, 2 TDs) and Gonzalez (4-53, 1 TD) getting the biggest pieces.
Throw in tailback Antonio Pittman's 19 carries for 111 yards and one score, plus 50 yards and another touchdown by freshman tailback Chris Wells, and the Longhorns' list of players to watch seems as large as their Godzillatron scoreboard in the Royal Texas Memorial Stadium end zone.
Don't kid yourself, though. Texas coach Mack Brown knows where everything starts for OSU, probably because he witnessed the same phenomenon at close range last season.
"Troy Smith to Ohio State is what Vince [Young] has been to us," Brown said. "He's a leader. He's a senior. He's a guy who can make plays with his feet, but he has a great throwing motion and he's very, very accurate."
Young led the Longhorns downfield last year in Columbus with time ticking away and Texas facing a 22-16 deficit. Even though the Longhorns, by Brown's admission, "did nothing offensively from the second quarter to the fourth quarter," the belief was palpable on the sideline that Young would offer the same rescue he authored to win the 2005 Rose Bowl against Michigan.
Ohio State's players have held that same faith in Smith since he took over as the starter in the middle of his sophomore year.
It took head coach Jim Tressel a little longer to become such an ardent believer.
Remember, after Texas took that 23-22 lead last season, Tressel sent Justin Zwick out for the next series and kept Smith on the sideline.
Zwick attempted a first down scramble and fumbled, leading to the safety that gave the Longhorns a 25-22 victory and the kick-start to their first national championship in 35 years.
Tressel named Smith his full-time quarterback two days later and has reaped 10 wins in 11 games since.
"We talk about [how] a quarterback has to have command," Tressel said. "[Smith and Young] seem to have that. And they both have that ability to beat you [with the] run and pass. Outside of that, I haven't studied Vince Young as to which routes he throws the best … I happen to think, and I've been saying all along, that I think Troy can make all the throws."
So what would Tressel prefer, the experienced quarterback he has now or the lights-out defense his teams have featured three of the last four seasons?
"I wouldn't trade Troy for anybody," he said.
Bruce Hooley covered the Big Ten for 19 years and now hosts a daily talk show on WBNS-AM1460 in Columbus, Ohio.
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