Ginn4Heisman20
I'm a universal constant
buckeye247;605970; said:
If you want to be critical of somebody's english you might not want to use a comma splice.
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If you want to be critical of somebody's english you might not want to use a comma splice.
I just want to remind everyone that Troy has thrown 121 passes since his last interception.
As you were.
As you were.
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How un-Favre-ian of him.DaddyBigBucks;606078; said:
In related news, Favre has thrown 4 interceptions since his last completion.
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Made I larf.
ABJ
Buckeyes QB passing on his chances to run
Smith values his leadership, arm over legs
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sportswriter
COLUMBUS - There is nothing wrong with the quarterback considered the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy.
There is something dramatically different about Ohio State's Troy Smith this season.
In the first two weeks, Smith has minus-14 yards rushing on eight attempts for the No. 1 Buckeyes, who play host to Cincinnati at noon Saturday (WUAB, Ch. 43).
At this point last year, Smith had rushed 13 times for 27 yards, even though he was suspended for the opener. He finished with 611 yards on 136 attempts, good enough to be OSU's second-leading ground gainer behind tailback Antonio Pittman. Smith led the team in rushing touchdowns with 11.
Whether by design or due to growing confidence in his arm, Smith's mind-set seems to have shifted.
``It was never a run-first thought process; it was just to improvise when I have to make something happen,'' Smith said. ``But a quarterback is someone who makes plays with his arm, with the mental part of the game, being a leader, the whole way around.
``Sometimes you will get that different breed of guys who can make something happen with his legs. But he'd better be able to make things happen with his arm.''
Texas coach Mack Brown admitted last week that there were games in 2005 when he told quarterback Vince Young not to run for fear of injury. Smith's close friend and fellow Cleveland Glenville High School graduate Ted Ginn Jr. suggested another explanation.
``To be an NFL quarterback you have to stand in the pocket and deliver the ball. It's not all about running and escaping,'' Ginn said. ``This year, he has started to deliver the ball and trust his receivers. That's what you want.''
OSU coach Jim Tressel seems to be able to take advantage of what his players do best and also build a strong foundation for the pros. Smith conceded Wednesday that he might not get as many carries in 2006, but he thinks that Tressel could add more called runs to the game plan.
``We just got finished with the second week, so I'm sure all the wrinkles have not been let out,'' Smith said. ``Right now we're trying to get everybody comfortable, get a feel of the season, get everybody lathered up for this long run we have.''
Smith ranks fifth in the nation in passing efficiency (194.2). He hasn't thrown an interception in his past 122 attempts. He has passed for 200 or more yards in eight of his past nine games, twice going for 300-plus. So it might seem inconsequential that in the 24-7 victory Saturday night at Texas, Smith ran seven times for minus-13 yards.
Asked about calling runs for Smith, Tressel said, ``We called one this week and got 3 yards. And we called some option and he has had to pitch, which is smart defense. You don't want him running.''
Tressel seems fine with how the numbers have shaken out.
``He has been back to pass (51) times and completed 35,'' Tressel said. ``So that means there's (16) other times that could have been runs or maybe he should have completed them, so he missed some passes. I thought there was one step-up opportunity that he missed in this game, but not like five or six.''
Tressel prefers to keep the ball in the hands of Pittman, backup tailbacks Chris Wells and Maurice Wells, and receivers Ginn and Anthony Gonzalez.
``I don't think it's alarming or anything,'' Tressel said of Smith's rushing yardage. ``We've got a lot of guys who can run better than him. I hope he doesn't hear me. But I'd rather Teddy and Gonzo (Anthony Gonzalez) and Pitt and Chris and Mo run with the ball.''
Buckeyes . . .
Ginn graces the cover of Sports Illustrated for the second time. OSU lost to Texas the week of his last appearance, in '05. Ginn on the supposed jinx: ``They keep putting things over our heads for us to fall.''... Redshirt freshman Anderson Russell, an Atlanta native, has moved past Nick Patterson as the starting free safety. ``He gives great effort on every single play,'' Gonzalez said of Russell. ``Everything he does it seems like he's going 100 miles an hour. Sometimes you almost want to ask him to slow down. That's what you need on defense, fast guys who are physical.''
ABJ
Tressel's '05 handling of Smith rewarded
By Terry Pluto
Jim Tressel might have won last week's Texas game last year.
If you're an Ohio State fan, you remember that 2005 Texas game. The Buckeyes lost at home to the Longhorns and Vince Young, 25-22.
It was the second game of the 2005 season. If the Buckeyes had won, it would have set them up for a shot at the national title.
A year ago, quarterback Troy Smith was suspended for the bowl game after the 2004 season and the opener of 2005 for taking $500 from a booster.
He was eligible to start against Texas, but the suspension had seriously cut into his practice time. Tressel was not about to compromise. He started Justin Zwick, who just might be the best backup quarterback in all of college football.
But Zwick is not as physically gifted as the fleet, rocket-armed Smith.
Tressel knew this, just as he knew that he'd probably need the athletic Smith to beat an elite Texas team. He alternated the two quarterbacks during the game, and neither established any rhythm.
After the game, I wrote that Tressel mishandled the situation. He should have picked one quarterback and stuck with him.
Now, I see that the Buckeyes coach was sending Smith a message, breaking down any sense of entitlement the young man might have felt after leading OSU to a victory over Michigan in 2004.
Tressel wasn't happy about the problem with the booster, and he believed Smith had a lot to learn about being a team leader. It takes more than talent. It's about film study, setting the right tone in the locker room and staying out of trouble.
He was willing to risk that first Texas game to let Smith know that he had to play by all the team rules, that he had to reach the high standards set by the coaches.
Tressel didn't say any of this in public. He never utters a discouraging word about his players to the media or fans.
Besides, sitting a player on the bench says more than any speech from a coach.
Tressel also had to alter his offense last season because Zwick is a much different type of quarterback. He is a pure passer, while Smith probably could be a Division I tailback.
The Buckeyes won the last seven games of the 2005 season with Smith. They won at Michigan 25-21 and then rolled past Notre Dame 34-20 in the Fiesta Bowl.
Smith finished the 2005 season with sparkling statistics: 16 touchdown passes, 11 rushing touchdowns, only four interceptions.
But more importantly, he had earned the respect of his teammates and coaches. He has emerged as a team leader, a big-game player.
Would this have happened if Smith had started the 2005 Texas game?
No one can be sure.
But Tressel quietly made a tough decision that might have cost the Buckeyes that game. Now the Buckeyes are ranked No. 1.
Let's face it, when Smith arrived at OSU from Cleveland Glenville High School, there was debate about him even being a quarterback. He was a great athlete, and some said maybe he should be converted to defensive back or running back.
Massillon's Zwick was the more highly rated recruit. Both were redshirted in 2003, and Zwick started the first five games of 2004. When the Buckeyes were 0-3 in the Big Ten, Tressel switched to Smith.
It has been his job ever since, except during the two-game suspension. But the Troy Smith we see now is so much better than the 2004 model, or even that of early 2005.
He already has graduated with a communications degree. He seems unconcerned about the Heisman Trophy talk surrounding him. He has bought into what Tressel wants his quarterbacks to do, and it's paying off.
In last week's stunning 24-7 win at Texas, Smith was everything a college quarterback should be on the road in a huge game. Tressel gives Smith all the credit, and he deserves it. But the coach sure helped, too.
Buckeyes QB passing on his chances to run
Smith values his leadership, arm over legs
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sportswriter
COLUMBUS - There is nothing wrong with the quarterback considered the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy.
There is something dramatically different about Ohio State's Troy Smith this season.
In the first two weeks, Smith has minus-14 yards rushing on eight attempts for the No. 1 Buckeyes, who play host to Cincinnati at noon Saturday (WUAB, Ch. 43).
At this point last year, Smith had rushed 13 times for 27 yards, even though he was suspended for the opener. He finished with 611 yards on 136 attempts, good enough to be OSU's second-leading ground gainer behind tailback Antonio Pittman. Smith led the team in rushing touchdowns with 11.
Whether by design or due to growing confidence in his arm, Smith's mind-set seems to have shifted.
``It was never a run-first thought process; it was just to improvise when I have to make something happen,'' Smith said. ``But a quarterback is someone who makes plays with his arm, with the mental part of the game, being a leader, the whole way around.
``Sometimes you will get that different breed of guys who can make something happen with his legs. But he'd better be able to make things happen with his arm.''
Texas coach Mack Brown admitted last week that there were games in 2005 when he told quarterback Vince Young not to run for fear of injury. Smith's close friend and fellow Cleveland Glenville High School graduate Ted Ginn Jr. suggested another explanation.
``To be an NFL quarterback you have to stand in the pocket and deliver the ball. It's not all about running and escaping,'' Ginn said. ``This year, he has started to deliver the ball and trust his receivers. That's what you want.''
OSU coach Jim Tressel seems to be able to take advantage of what his players do best and also build a strong foundation for the pros. Smith conceded Wednesday that he might not get as many carries in 2006, but he thinks that Tressel could add more called runs to the game plan.
``We just got finished with the second week, so I'm sure all the wrinkles have not been let out,'' Smith said. ``Right now we're trying to get everybody comfortable, get a feel of the season, get everybody lathered up for this long run we have.''
Smith ranks fifth in the nation in passing efficiency (194.2). He hasn't thrown an interception in his past 122 attempts. He has passed for 200 or more yards in eight of his past nine games, twice going for 300-plus. So it might seem inconsequential that in the 24-7 victory Saturday night at Texas, Smith ran seven times for minus-13 yards.
Asked about calling runs for Smith, Tressel said, ``We called one this week and got 3 yards. And we called some option and he has had to pitch, which is smart defense. You don't want him running.''
Tressel seems fine with how the numbers have shaken out.
``He has been back to pass (51) times and completed 35,'' Tressel said. ``So that means there's (16) other times that could have been runs or maybe he should have completed them, so he missed some passes. I thought there was one step-up opportunity that he missed in this game, but not like five or six.''
Tressel prefers to keep the ball in the hands of Pittman, backup tailbacks Chris Wells and Maurice Wells, and receivers Ginn and Anthony Gonzalez.
``I don't think it's alarming or anything,'' Tressel said of Smith's rushing yardage. ``We've got a lot of guys who can run better than him. I hope he doesn't hear me. But I'd rather Teddy and Gonzo (Anthony Gonzalez) and Pitt and Chris and Mo run with the ball.''
Buckeyes . . .
Ginn graces the cover of Sports Illustrated for the second time. OSU lost to Texas the week of his last appearance, in '05. Ginn on the supposed jinx: ``They keep putting things over our heads for us to fall.''... Redshirt freshman Anderson Russell, an Atlanta native, has moved past Nick Patterson as the starting free safety. ``He gives great effort on every single play,'' Gonzalez said of Russell. ``Everything he does it seems like he's going 100 miles an hour. Sometimes you almost want to ask him to slow down. That's what you need on defense, fast guys who are physical.''
ABJ
Tressel's '05 handling of Smith rewarded
By Terry Pluto
Jim Tressel might have won last week's Texas game last year.
If you're an Ohio State fan, you remember that 2005 Texas game. The Buckeyes lost at home to the Longhorns and Vince Young, 25-22.
It was the second game of the 2005 season. If the Buckeyes had won, it would have set them up for a shot at the national title.
A year ago, quarterback Troy Smith was suspended for the bowl game after the 2004 season and the opener of 2005 for taking $500 from a booster.
He was eligible to start against Texas, but the suspension had seriously cut into his practice time. Tressel was not about to compromise. He started Justin Zwick, who just might be the best backup quarterback in all of college football.
But Zwick is not as physically gifted as the fleet, rocket-armed Smith.
Tressel knew this, just as he knew that he'd probably need the athletic Smith to beat an elite Texas team. He alternated the two quarterbacks during the game, and neither established any rhythm.
After the game, I wrote that Tressel mishandled the situation. He should have picked one quarterback and stuck with him.
Now, I see that the Buckeyes coach was sending Smith a message, breaking down any sense of entitlement the young man might have felt after leading OSU to a victory over Michigan in 2004.
Tressel wasn't happy about the problem with the booster, and he believed Smith had a lot to learn about being a team leader. It takes more than talent. It's about film study, setting the right tone in the locker room and staying out of trouble.
He was willing to risk that first Texas game to let Smith know that he had to play by all the team rules, that he had to reach the high standards set by the coaches.
Tressel didn't say any of this in public. He never utters a discouraging word about his players to the media or fans.
Besides, sitting a player on the bench says more than any speech from a coach.
Tressel also had to alter his offense last season because Zwick is a much different type of quarterback. He is a pure passer, while Smith probably could be a Division I tailback.
The Buckeyes won the last seven games of the 2005 season with Smith. They won at Michigan 25-21 and then rolled past Notre Dame 34-20 in the Fiesta Bowl.
Smith finished the 2005 season with sparkling statistics: 16 touchdown passes, 11 rushing touchdowns, only four interceptions.
But more importantly, he had earned the respect of his teammates and coaches. He has emerged as a team leader, a big-game player.
Would this have happened if Smith had started the 2005 Texas game?
No one can be sure.
But Tressel quietly made a tough decision that might have cost the Buckeyes that game. Now the Buckeyes are ranked No. 1.
Let's face it, when Smith arrived at OSU from Cleveland Glenville High School, there was debate about him even being a quarterback. He was a great athlete, and some said maybe he should be converted to defensive back or running back.
Massillon's Zwick was the more highly rated recruit. Both were redshirted in 2003, and Zwick started the first five games of 2004. When the Buckeyes were 0-3 in the Big Ten, Tressel switched to Smith.
It has been his job ever since, except during the two-game suspension. But the Troy Smith we see now is so much better than the 2004 model, or even that of early 2005.
He already has graduated with a communications degree. He seems unconcerned about the Heisman Trophy talk surrounding him. He has bought into what Tressel wants his quarterbacks to do, and it's paying off.
In last week's stunning 24-7 win at Texas, Smith was everything a college quarterback should be on the road in a huge game. Tressel gives Smith all the credit, and he deserves it. But the coach sure helped, too.
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
Dispatch
On so many levels, OSU quarterback oozes cool
Friday, September 15, 2006
Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
</IMG>
Jim Tressel doesn?t hesitate when asked what he looks for first in a quarterback.
"Is he tough?" the Ohio State football coach asks.
Beyond a great arm, quick feet, decisiveness and command of the huddle, there are other matters. Can he take a hit from the blind side one play and keep his attention downfield the next? Can he take a hit headon and still step into his next pass? Can he miss on a sure home run ball, then grease it in there the next chance he gets?
Troy Smith did all that Saturday in a 24-7 win at Texas. In a hostile atmosphere, before the largest crowd to see a football game in the state of Texas, and in the face of a blitzing Longhorns defense, he went about his business. He did so despite three sacks, including a vicious hit by 275-pound defensive end Brian Robison.
Smith learned his senior year at Cleveland Glenville High School that he has what it takes to play the position. The hit in the back knocked the wind out of him.
"From that point on, there was an understanding, because I saw the look in his eyes once I got up," Smith said. "I couldn?t let him know he?d gotten the best of me. As soon as you do that, I think you let up. And I think that gives them even more incentive to take advantage of your weakness."
In other words, never let ?em see you wince.
Smith certainly didn?t invent that ethic. Effective quarterbacks have undeniable toughness regardless of their running ability, arm strength or other passing skills, Tressel said.
"Tom Brady is tough, Joe Montana was tough, and all those guys look different," Tressel said. "You look at Matt Leinart, and you might say, ?He?s not a Troy Smith (in running ability),? but he?s tough. The guy has been through umpteen knee surgeries, and had to fight to get the job. He?s tough."
At Ohio State, Smith?s toughness has won his teammates? admiration, and their respect stems far beyond his ability to run and/or throw. Receiver Anthony Gonzalez recalled a summer team get-together of "midnight madness," a marathon of soccer, softball and other games pitting offensive players against defensive players.
Smith showed another kind of toughness.
"In soccer, he was going around tackling people, throwing people into the wall, all kinds of stuff, just to get the ball because we were down by a goal," Gonzalez said. "It?s little things like that. He is not going to allow anyone to get the best of him, and that?s what I love."
Gonzalez saw the same thing the other night at Texas, when Smith popped up from being tagged by Robison and later led the top-ranked Buckeyes on the clinching touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.
"I think a lot of it just stems from being competitive; you don?t allow yourself to stay down because you want more than anything in the world at that particular moment to win whatever it is you?re competing at," Gonzalez said. "And you really don?t have time to be hurt."
Or as Smith put it, "I think it?s just having that understanding and that will and that determination to know that just a physical hit can?t take you out of a game."
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ABJ
Smith has relied more on his right arm than legs
Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio - What's brewing today with the 2006 Ohio State Buckeyes ...
BUCKEYE BUZZ: What happened to Troy Smith, Running Man?
A year ago, he rushed for 611 yards and 11 TDs as a two-way threat. This year, he's been great passing the ball but has just eight carries for minus-21 yards and zero scores.
Coach Jim Tressel said part of it is that he's protecting his most valuable player.
"The option and the called quarterback runs have had a place in our game plan the first two games. We just haven't seen the time to use them based upon what our opponent was doing," he said. "I think everybody in the country knows that will be a part of who we are."
Smith has relied more on his right arm than legs
Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio - What's brewing today with the 2006 Ohio State Buckeyes ...
BUCKEYE BUZZ: What happened to Troy Smith, Running Man?
A year ago, he rushed for 611 yards and 11 TDs as a two-way threat. This year, he's been great passing the ball but has just eight carries for minus-21 yards and zero scores.
Coach Jim Tressel said part of it is that he's protecting his most valuable player.
"The option and the called quarterback runs have had a place in our game plan the first two games. We just haven't seen the time to use them based upon what our opponent was doing," he said. "I think everybody in the country knows that will be a part of who we are."
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Link
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif]OSU finds new joys in Troy's poise [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif]Saturday, September 16, 2006[/FONT][/FONT] [FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif]Bud Shaw[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif]Plain Dealer Columnist [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] The only negative to Troy Smith's season is purely mathematical. The Buckeyes' quarterback has minus-14 yards rushing. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] That might qualify as Houdini escapability for statue quarterbacks. For Smith, it's suggestive of a three-legged race. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] But any reasons to worry about Smith's makeover from the quarterback who ran for 11 touchdowns last year to the one ranked fifth in the nation in passing efficiency haven't shown themselves yet. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] When he begins consistently holding the ball too long or ignoring wide-open running lanes to throw into triple coverage, maybe then it'll be fair to wonder if he's playing for the NFL scouts. What he's doing now is hardly a detriment. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] "To be an NFL quarterback, you have to stand in the pocket and deliver the ball," Ted Ginn Jr. said this week. "It's not always about running and escaping the pocket. This year he's coming through standing there, delivering the ball and he's trusting the receivers. That's what you want. You want your quarterback to trust your receiver so he can deliver the ball." [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] You also want your quarterback striking fear in the heart of a defense. Anybody think Smith isn't doing that with his arm and the threat of his legs? [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] The danger is there. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif]OSU finds new joys in Troy's poise [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif]Saturday, September 16, 2006[/FONT][/FONT] [FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif]Bud Shaw[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif]Plain Dealer Columnist [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] The only negative to Troy Smith's season is purely mathematical. The Buckeyes' quarterback has minus-14 yards rushing. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] That might qualify as Houdini escapability for statue quarterbacks. For Smith, it's suggestive of a three-legged race. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] But any reasons to worry about Smith's makeover from the quarterback who ran for 11 touchdowns last year to the one ranked fifth in the nation in passing efficiency haven't shown themselves yet. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] When he begins consistently holding the ball too long or ignoring wide-open running lanes to throw into triple coverage, maybe then it'll be fair to wonder if he's playing for the NFL scouts. What he's doing now is hardly a detriment. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] "To be an NFL quarterback, you have to stand in the pocket and deliver the ball," Ted Ginn Jr. said this week. "It's not always about running and escaping the pocket. This year he's coming through standing there, delivering the ball and he's trusting the receivers. That's what you want. You want your quarterback to trust your receiver so he can deliver the ball." [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] You also want your quarterback striking fear in the heart of a defense. Anybody think Smith isn't doing that with his arm and the threat of his legs? [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] The danger is there. [/FONT][/FONT]
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Lantern
Danger of being labeled as a scrambler
Brandon Castel
Michael Vick might be the most electrifying athlete ever to play the quarterback position. He is the one player his fellow NFL collegues continually say they would pay to watch. No quarterback in history has brought speed and athleticism to the position like Vick, but questions about his accuracy cause very few people to consider the Falcons quarterback as an elite NFL player at his position.
Yet Vick is the benchmark for which all "athletic quarterbacks" are compared, and it's not always a helpful comparison.
Last season Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith ran for 611 yards and scored 11 touchdowns on the ground. His ability to hurt opposing defenses with his legs and his arm made him the best dual-threat quarterback in college football not named Vince Young. But his development as a leader in the huddle and his heroic performances in his team's biggest games forced pre-season comparisons to Young this year. Comparisons Smith has not so readily embraced.
Rather than drawing on comparisons to players like Young or Vick, Smith has said he wants to be seen in the image of a Donovan McNabb or Steve McNair, two African-American quarterbacks that have bucked the traditional athletic quarterback stereo-type by hurting defenses more with their arm than their legs.
But it seems as though Smith has almost taken that desire to distance himself from scrambling quarterbacks to the extreme. By this time last season Smith had already amassed 241 yards rushing and four rushing touchdowns. Yet here we are heading into week four of the new season, and amazingly Smith has negative 14 yards rushing, and his only rushing touchdown was called back on a holding penalty.
A lot of that is a result of Smith's maturation as a quarterback. He has developed more awareness in the pocket, and as a result he is able to hang in the pocket longer and give his receivers more time to get open. He has also been very effective at scrambling behind the line of scrimmage and instead of taking off, he is able find open receivers down field.But a big part of that seems to be his desire to be thought of as a great passer. It's hard to remember after all of his heroics for the Longhorns last season, but it was not too long ago that Vince Young himself was viewed strictly as a quarterback who could beat you with his legs. As a sophomore in 2004, Young rushed for 1,079 and 14 touchdowns. He also threw for 1,849 yards and 12 more scores, but 11 interceptions to go with it caused many to question his accuracy and his future as a passer at the next level.
Last year, however, Young dispelled any notion that he
didn't have the pose or accuracy to be an elite NFL quarterback. He again rushed for over 1,000 yards, but it was what he did threw the air that helped make him the 3rd pick in this year's draft. Young threw for 26 touchdowns and became the first quarterback in NCAA history to throw for over 3,000 yards and rush for over a thousand.
Quarterbacks like Brad Smith of Missouri and Reggie McNeal of Texas A&M put up similar numbers to Young's - as similar as you can get to a Heisman runner-up - and were both victims of the scrambling-quarterback label. Guys who had strong arms and could make big plays with their legs, but lacked the accuracy and mental focus to play qaurterback at the next level.
Smith seems dead-set on ensuring that he ends up with Young's fate and not that of the others. He seems ever-so hesitant to take off with the ball for fear the "scrambling qaurterback" label might creep its way back in. He even seems a little bit like a guy looking to impress a few NFL scouts with his passing ability, and if that is the case, who can blame the guy?
Danger of being labeled as a scrambler
Brandon Castel
Michael Vick might be the most electrifying athlete ever to play the quarterback position. He is the one player his fellow NFL collegues continually say they would pay to watch. No quarterback in history has brought speed and athleticism to the position like Vick, but questions about his accuracy cause very few people to consider the Falcons quarterback as an elite NFL player at his position.
Yet Vick is the benchmark for which all "athletic quarterbacks" are compared, and it's not always a helpful comparison.
Last season Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith ran for 611 yards and scored 11 touchdowns on the ground. His ability to hurt opposing defenses with his legs and his arm made him the best dual-threat quarterback in college football not named Vince Young. But his development as a leader in the huddle and his heroic performances in his team's biggest games forced pre-season comparisons to Young this year. Comparisons Smith has not so readily embraced.
Rather than drawing on comparisons to players like Young or Vick, Smith has said he wants to be seen in the image of a Donovan McNabb or Steve McNair, two African-American quarterbacks that have bucked the traditional athletic quarterback stereo-type by hurting defenses more with their arm than their legs.
But it seems as though Smith has almost taken that desire to distance himself from scrambling quarterbacks to the extreme. By this time last season Smith had already amassed 241 yards rushing and four rushing touchdowns. Yet here we are heading into week four of the new season, and amazingly Smith has negative 14 yards rushing, and his only rushing touchdown was called back on a holding penalty.
A lot of that is a result of Smith's maturation as a quarterback. He has developed more awareness in the pocket, and as a result he is able to hang in the pocket longer and give his receivers more time to get open. He has also been very effective at scrambling behind the line of scrimmage and instead of taking off, he is able find open receivers down field.But a big part of that seems to be his desire to be thought of as a great passer. It's hard to remember after all of his heroics for the Longhorns last season, but it was not too long ago that Vince Young himself was viewed strictly as a quarterback who could beat you with his legs. As a sophomore in 2004, Young rushed for 1,079 and 14 touchdowns. He also threw for 1,849 yards and 12 more scores, but 11 interceptions to go with it caused many to question his accuracy and his future as a passer at the next level.
Last year, however, Young dispelled any notion that he
didn't have the pose or accuracy to be an elite NFL quarterback. He again rushed for over 1,000 yards, but it was what he did threw the air that helped make him the 3rd pick in this year's draft. Young threw for 26 touchdowns and became the first quarterback in NCAA history to throw for over 3,000 yards and rush for over a thousand.
Quarterbacks like Brad Smith of Missouri and Reggie McNeal of Texas A&M put up similar numbers to Young's - as similar as you can get to a Heisman runner-up - and were both victims of the scrambling-quarterback label. Guys who had strong arms and could make big plays with their legs, but lacked the accuracy and mental focus to play qaurterback at the next level.
Smith seems dead-set on ensuring that he ends up with Young's fate and not that of the others. He seems ever-so hesitant to take off with the ball for fear the "scrambling qaurterback" label might creep its way back in. He even seems a little bit like a guy looking to impress a few NFL scouts with his passing ability, and if that is the case, who can blame the guy?
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A tale of two Buckeyes
Pete Fiutak / CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted: 6 hours ago
One player was on the verge of being a legend and went one way. One player is on the verge of being a legend and is on a completely different path.
Maurice Clarett could've been a god. He could've been every bit the beloved figure around the Ohio State football program that Archie Griffin became, and he could've occupied a place in the hearts of Buckeye fans right below Woody Hayes.
It's easy to forget now just how amazing Clarett was in the 2002 national title-winning season. He was unstoppable around the goal line, he produced despite being banged up, and he made one of the great plays in one of the greatest games ever, chasing down Miami's Sean Taylor and stripping him of the ball, forcing the Hurricanes to settle for a field goal during the Buckeyes' epic 31-24 Fiesta Bowl win.
He was the favorite for the Heisman going into the 2003 season and was on everyone's All-America list. Of course, Clarett got some awful advice and made some horrible choices, and then it all came crashing down around him.
Clarett thought he was going to be LeBron James. They ran in the same circles and were both surrounded by the same hero worship. When that didn't happen, he turned violent, strange and ? ultimately ? very, very dangerous when he could've so easily tried to make amends, own up to his errors, and, in time, become a part of the Buckeyes family again even after trying to bring the program down.
Let's not blame all the posses and the hangers-on for Clarett's woes. He made the mistakes that led to him being sent to jail for a minimum of three-plus years. He chose to be lazy and not take advantage of every opportunity presented to him. He chose not to make the most of the coaching and assistance from the Denver Broncos, who tried everything to make sure their first-day draft pick wasn't a screaming, high-profile bust. He didn't have to hold up two people outside of a bar. He didn't have to battle with the police who tried to subdue him.
Maurice Clarett pleads guilty to aggravated robbery and carrying a concealed weapon in a deal that will send him to prison for at least 3 1/2 years to end two criminal cases against him. (Kiichiro Sato / Associated Press)
Likewise, Troy Smith didn't have to work his tail off to become one of the nation's best college football players.
While the Buckeye quarterback wasn't on the same path as Clarett, and didn't have any plans to buck the NFL system or screw around with the academic side of THE Ohio State University (yes, there is an actual university around the football program), he was quickly on the way to becoming an afterthought.
Smith was suspended for the bowl game following the 2004 season (as well as the 2005 season opener) after taking $500 from a booster. It could have easily been the first in an escalating series of incidents that left Ohio State coaches and fans wondering what might have been.
Instead, it became a turning point.
It was just over a year ago when Justin Zwick, the super-recruit who was supposed to have the potential to be among the best Buckeye quarterbacks ever, was starting in the showdown in Columbus against Texas instead of Smith. But when Zwick wasn't panning out, Smith put his suspension behind him, came off the bench, and almost pulled off the win over the Longhorns. As everyone knows by now, he led the Buckeyes to the Fiesta Bowl win over Notre Dame and now is the front-runner for the Heisman as the unquestioned leader of the nation's No. 1 team.
Big-time players want the spotlight of a big school. They dream of playing on the biggest stage and in the biggest games. Clarett couldn't handle all that comes with the pressure and the expectations. Smith is flourishing.
"I wouldn't have it any other way," said Smith. "That's college football. That's the pressure, and that's the fun."
And it is supposed to be fun.
It's trite to simply say, "Let this be a lesson to all star athletes," but let this be a lesson to all star athletes. When you get a chance to make the most of your opportunities, you do it. It's your choice whether or not you want to succeed, and it's your choice what you want to do with your life if you don't succeed at football.
Smith gets it. Clarett never did.
A tale of two Buckeyes
Pete Fiutak / CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted: 6 hours ago
One player was on the verge of being a legend and went one way. One player is on the verge of being a legend and is on a completely different path.
Maurice Clarett could've been a god. He could've been every bit the beloved figure around the Ohio State football program that Archie Griffin became, and he could've occupied a place in the hearts of Buckeye fans right below Woody Hayes.
It's easy to forget now just how amazing Clarett was in the 2002 national title-winning season. He was unstoppable around the goal line, he produced despite being banged up, and he made one of the great plays in one of the greatest games ever, chasing down Miami's Sean Taylor and stripping him of the ball, forcing the Hurricanes to settle for a field goal during the Buckeyes' epic 31-24 Fiesta Bowl win.
He was the favorite for the Heisman going into the 2003 season and was on everyone's All-America list. Of course, Clarett got some awful advice and made some horrible choices, and then it all came crashing down around him.
Clarett thought he was going to be LeBron James. They ran in the same circles and were both surrounded by the same hero worship. When that didn't happen, he turned violent, strange and ? ultimately ? very, very dangerous when he could've so easily tried to make amends, own up to his errors, and, in time, become a part of the Buckeyes family again even after trying to bring the program down.
Let's not blame all the posses and the hangers-on for Clarett's woes. He made the mistakes that led to him being sent to jail for a minimum of three-plus years. He chose to be lazy and not take advantage of every opportunity presented to him. He chose not to make the most of the coaching and assistance from the Denver Broncos, who tried everything to make sure their first-day draft pick wasn't a screaming, high-profile bust. He didn't have to hold up two people outside of a bar. He didn't have to battle with the police who tried to subdue him.
Likewise, Troy Smith didn't have to work his tail off to become one of the nation's best college football players.
While the Buckeye quarterback wasn't on the same path as Clarett, and didn't have any plans to buck the NFL system or screw around with the academic side of THE Ohio State University (yes, there is an actual university around the football program), he was quickly on the way to becoming an afterthought.
Smith was suspended for the bowl game following the 2004 season (as well as the 2005 season opener) after taking $500 from a booster. It could have easily been the first in an escalating series of incidents that left Ohio State coaches and fans wondering what might have been.
Instead, it became a turning point.
It was just over a year ago when Justin Zwick, the super-recruit who was supposed to have the potential to be among the best Buckeye quarterbacks ever, was starting in the showdown in Columbus against Texas instead of Smith. But when Zwick wasn't panning out, Smith put his suspension behind him, came off the bench, and almost pulled off the win over the Longhorns. As everyone knows by now, he led the Buckeyes to the Fiesta Bowl win over Notre Dame and now is the front-runner for the Heisman as the unquestioned leader of the nation's No. 1 team.
Big-time players want the spotlight of a big school. They dream of playing on the biggest stage and in the biggest games. Clarett couldn't handle all that comes with the pressure and the expectations. Smith is flourishing.
"I wouldn't have it any other way," said Smith. "That's college football. That's the pressure, and that's the fun."
And it is supposed to be fun.
It's trite to simply say, "Let this be a lesson to all star athletes," but let this be a lesson to all star athletes. When you get a chance to make the most of your opportunities, you do it. It's your choice whether or not you want to succeed, and it's your choice what you want to do with your life if you don't succeed at football.
Smith gets it. Clarett never did.
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IronBuckI
Calmer than you are.
Bad article by CFN.
It's nice to point out the differences between guys like Troy and MoC. How being able to take responsibility for your actions can get you to where Troy is, rather than MoC, but the writer needs to get their facts straight. No need to aggrandize Troy's story by making stuff up.
We scored the field goal as a result of that strip, not Miami.
Revisionist history. Smith was always going to play in that game, and Troy struggled after his first possesion, just as much as Justin did. Neither quarterback "almost pulled off the win". Well documented missed opportunities, when both quarterbacks were in the game, were what cost us the victory.
It's nice to point out the differences between guys like Troy and MoC. How being able to take responsibility for your actions can get you to where Troy is, rather than MoC, but the writer needs to get their facts straight. No need to aggrandize Troy's story by making stuff up.
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