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Ohio State: After a week of rest, CJ Stroud made up for lost time in a hurry

Joe Cox

By Joe Cox

Published:

Going into the season, there was one particular area of concern for Ohio State fans that seemed pivotal.

Not the defense, although maybe that should have been the concern. Not who would emerge at running back, or whether the offensive line would hold up.

With the transition of Justin Fields into the NFL, Ohio State did not return a single passer with a single collegiate pass attempt. It was the first time that had happened in Columbus since 1952. While OSU had a stable of well-regarded passers, it’s different between the lines.

Could OSU hope to equal Justin Fields’s productivity? Fields completed 70% of his passes in 2020, averaging 9.3 yards per attempt, with a touchdown every 10.2 throws, and an interception every 38 attempts. With Fields at the helm, OSU averaged 41 points per game, 11th in the nation. OSU’s offense averaged 7.5 20+ yard plays per game. Of course, Fields was a talented rusher, picking up 48 yards per game on the ground on 4.7 per carry, even counting sacks.

Surely the Buckeyes wouldn’t be in — get this — better shape with freshman CJ Stroud at the helm? Actually, yes, that’s exactly what has happened. Stroud is completing 65% of his passes, just below Fields’s rate, but he is averaging 10.4 yards per attempt. Stroud has a touchdown every 9.5 pass attempts, and an interception every 41.3 attempts. Meanwhile, OSU is averaging 45 points per game, 4th in the nation, and has 7.6 20+ yard plays per game.

The deeper one digs into Stroud’s stats, the better they get.

Stroud’s QB rating is higher in each quarter successively. He’s okay in the first quarter (134.8 rating). To the limited extent that OSU’s dominance has let him on the field in the second half, he’s a monster (207.9 in the 3rd quarter, 210.3 in the 4th). Even better, his QB rating is higher on each successive down. He’s pretty solid on 1st down (170.4), but is filthy on 3rd (211.0) and 4th down passes (212.3).

Still, there are doubtlessly some skeptics. Put a quarterback — any quarterback — behind a couple of all-B1G linemen, handing off to TreVeyon Henderson, throwing passes to Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, it’s going to be okay, right? Maybe so, but those around the Ohio State program recognize that Stroud is special.

Stroud missed OSU’s win over Akron due to minor injuries, but Buckeyes coach Ryan Day seemed to believe that the week out of action had been a growing experience for Stroud.

“I thought it showed,” Day said of Stroud’s week off, “maybe giving him a little perspective … he did play better … and it was encouraging to see.”

Asked later about Stroud’s performance against Rutgers (17-for-23, 330 yards, 5 TDs before exiting after the first series of the second half), Day admitted, “This is what he’s capable of.” He continued, “Guys are going to look at him and try to attack him different ways. He’s going to have answers.”

Stroud admitted that his fourth game as the starter was a comfortable experience. “[I] definitely felt way better coming into this game,” he admitted. Asked about his team, Stroud said, “Everybody is counting us out right now, which I think is good. We have adversity.”

Having a loss under their belts, OSU could be said to have adversity. But they also could be said to be a sleeping giant — while the freshman QB who just might be a Heisman Trophy candidate is certainly wide awake. Maybe the rest of college football will be soon, too.

Joe Cox

Veteran college writer Joe Cox covers Ohio State and college basketball for Saturday Tradition.