billmac91
Head Coach
Dryden;1582591; said:I'm going to reserve judgment on TP until his Sr year.
I didn't see anything in 2004 from Troy Smith that forecast he would dissect defenses with surgical precision in 2006, but somewhere midway through the 2005 season the light went on, and the tales of his taking film to Daniels and Bollman became the stuff of lore by the time his career was through.
TP has more physical ability than 90% of D1A starters. It's all in his head. He has to decide he wants to become a pocket passer and film room junkie, and when he does, if he ever does, he could be a great one. Right now, I think he thinks he knows what he's looking at when he's watching film, but he doesn't. Not yet.
One thing I saw against NMSU -- and I think it's significant even though it was NMSU -- was that he finally showed a true full-speed running gait on two of his scrambles, including a little stutter step/setting up the stiff arm on a LB, which I had never, ever seen from him before. I think he's beginning to turn the corner.
The question is whether the level of competition over these next three weeks allows us to see him blossom this year, or if we'll have to wait until next year.
I'm confident the OSU staff can get him there ... will get him there.
2 things:
1. Terrelle the last 2 weeks has made a conscious decesion to finsish runs. Against Minnesota and NMSU he lowered his shoulder and accelerated all the way through his runs.
2. He's run with more frequency and more decisiveness. Against NMSU, it was as if the ball pats were a count in his head. If you go re-watch the tape, if Terrelle taps the ball 3 times, he looks upfield and is gone.....I've never seen that before out of him. Maybe I'm over analyzing, but I think its a coaching decesion to take pressure and decesion-making out of Terrelle's hands. If you've sat in the pocket for 3 ball taps, its time to move.
Again, I think Terrelle ha sthe potential to be a Heisman QB and lead the Bucks to a title. Just not in the current package.
And while nothing in 2004 would have made you jump on the Troy bandwagon, Troy, bottom-line had way more natural QB skills than Terrelle. He had better mechanics, a better release point, and I think a better understanding of QB reads/knowledge/defensive coverages/football saavy.....
This really isn't a knock on Terrelle, I just think the system hasn't utilized his skillset. Terrelle has the ability to be one of the most dynamic players in college football history....
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