The battle for OSU’s starting quarterback position has been raging for the past two weeks. There are many potential suitors for this glamorous position and that battle came to a preliminary climax over the weekend with the annual Ohio St. spring game… I mean practice… I mean scrimmage. Whatever.
The offense and defense lined up and played something that resembled a real football game. Buckeye nation was battered and bruised over the winter because of tatgate and it was nice to escape the media blitz for awhile and enjoy some actual hitting on the field. Of course it didn’t last long because of the letter sent to OSU by the NCAA detailing everything we already knew. Seriously, did that letter state anything that hadn’t already been spewed over and over in the past few months? You would have thought Tressel had grown a third arm he used to simultaneously beat women and take bribes by the way the media treated this non story. I don’t want to get into that right now.
Why? Because I am sick of the whole thing and appalled by the way Tress is being portrayed in the media. Alas, that is another column for another day. Today? Quarterbacks! There were countless different personnel groups on the field for this quasi football game and tons of new faces/names (particularly on the defensive side of the ball) for the fans to take in. Most in the buckeye blogosphere had heard of these young men through recruiting and what not but the casual fan was treated to countless new names on the back of those jerseys. With TP out for the first five games, one of the following four gentlemen have a HUGE opportunity to play their way into the enviable role of Ohio St. quarterback.
How many people in their lives get the chance to say that?! Throughout the first few practices most scribes in the media didn’t really feel anyone was pulling away with the job. Even after the spring game, many still couldn’t decide on a clear cut winner and I felt the same way after re-watching this thing 3 times. I did come out with a few opinions and observations though. So strap yourself in and prepare for some… wait for it… notes from the spring game! I’m sure you haven’t read any of those yet. What’s that? You have? Oh well, read them anyway. On a quick side not before I start, I’m not going to bore you with stat lines. Those have been posted and re-posted all over the net since Sat. These are just some personal opinions.
Joe Bauserman- I’m going to start with everybody’s favorite Buckeye Joey B (and by favorite I totally mean punching bag). I really want to say something nice about this young man so here goes. I’m sure he is a great guy who treats his woman right, pays taxes on time and generally liked throughout his home town. Unfortunately, he decided to play quarterback (or try to) for a school with a venomous fan base that critiques every move of their favorite football team. After watching his snaps over the weekend, I really can’t say I’m excited at the prospect of Joe under center come September. He still looks like a statue back there and doesn’t throw the ball that well which is pretty important for his position. However, he has the most live reps out of this group which is something I guess. Unfortunately for Joe, I would prefer talent and potential over blowout experience and day of the week. Fortunately for Joe, I don’t call the shots and the senator LOVES seniors! So he has that going for him, which is nice.
Kenny Guiton- Kenny G was the talk of the town after last year’s spring game. Hell, there were even folks calling for Guiton to get starts over Pryor to begin last year’s campaign. I wasn’t one of them (as far as you know) but I certainly was impressed with the guy’s mobility and grit on the field. It looked like a Cinderella story (insert favorite Caddyshack joke here) after the late addition of Kenny to last year’s recruiting class. All of that has gone out the window this spring. It looks as though Guiton has dropped to the bottom of the barrel and will be hard pressed for any minutes in the fall. He still has that great elusiveness in the backfield but had way too many missed throws IMO. He is a nice guy to have the bench for emergency situations but that is about it for Kenny.
Taylor Graham- Graham certainly has the size and pedigree to play the position at the D1 level. He has intrigued many this spring with his potential behind center. I believe that Taylor has a shot to play this fall and I don’t think I would hate it that much. He appears to have a good grasp on the playbook and made some nice throws in the game this past weekend. Graham is definitely more of a prototypical drop back passer with a laser rocket arm. That type of QB used to be the norm in Columbus but the team has gone away from that style in recent years. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining about having the Pryor’s and Smith’s of the world suit up for us. I just enjoy the more traditional pro style offense. It feels less gimmicky to me. I will gladly embrace anything that ends with a “W” in the first column though. That’s for damn sure!
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| Miller showed a lot of talent and upside for a freshman |
That crossing pattern to Posey (wipes a tear thinking about a Poseyless team for 5 games) which went for 20 yards was a thing of beauty. It had some mustard on it and hit DeVier perfectly in stride. He also had some great touch on those swing passes out of the backfield to our running backs. I am convinced, or as convinced as you can be after one meaningless scrimmage, that this guy has the stuff to be a great player. He is an Ohio kid who has always wanted to play here and I can’t wait until he gets his chance on a full time basis.
Realistically, I think that Bauserman will get the first snaps of the season against Akron in a few months. It won’t be because he is the better quarterback though. It will be due to the fact that he has put in his time and has the most experience out of the group. Mark my words though. The first time he throws one of those wounded ducks that goes the other way for 6, the rug will be pulled out from under him. The goal is to keep this team above water until the Calvary comes calling for the mega match-up in Lincoln. The coaching staff MUST put the best guy out there who gives us the most realistic chance of winning. Nothing else matters. Feelings may get hurt and the locker room might be divided but this is big boy football. The “W” is all that anybody will remember. I think a combination of Miller and Graham is the most likely and best scenario for the fall. Time will tell.
