OSU vs. Texas who's your starting QB and why?

[porky]

Now Tressel is not saying who's starting. As always he's keeping his hand close to the vest by saying:
"As we stand right now, yeah, I'd say we have two starting quarterbacks,"
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that I start Troy Smith and I'll tell you why.
Zwick started in Ohio State's 34-14 opening win over Miami last week, he completed 17-of-23 passes for 155 yards and one touchdown with an interception. Not exactly setting the place on fire. I think he over threw receivers several times and the offfense just looked a little out of sync, timing wise.
Flashback to last season, Troy replaced Justin and led Ohio State to wins in four of the next five games. And who could forget the high point, a memorable game against that state up north. Smith rushed for 145 yards — the second highest total ever for a Buckeyes quarterback — and passed for 241 yards and a touchdown in leading the way to a 37-21 upset of the seventh-ranked Wolverines. :eek: I think that offense is a different team with Troy at the helm and I think against a team like Texas we can't take any chances.
So it's your call, who's your starter Saturday against Texas?

[Buckeye ME]

Justin Zwick has not dishonored the program or my university, and has proven himself capable the last two games, so he gets the call by me. Boeckman would be backup, and TS only comes in if all other quarterbacks break their legs.

[thebrian]

Originally posted by Buckeye ME
Justin Zwick has not dishonored the program or my university, and has proven himself capable the last two games, so he gets the call by me. Boeckman would be backup, and TS only comes in if all other quarterbacks break their legs.

I only wish that that's what they'd do. I'm tired of all these players damaging OSU's reputation by violating NCAA rules.

Honestly, Zwick will start, Smith will take over if Zwick struggles the slightest, and Boeckman will likely get some time, since he did so well in the Miami game.

~Brian

[prance1520]

I agree about many OSU athletes ruining our rep, but I don't think Troy Smith is one of them. I sit through the same compliance meetings as the football guys, and listen to all the same all the NCAA rules too. Taking a car from some random guy is one thing, beating up your girlfriend is a big no no, but taking money from a family member, reguardless of how 'removed', isn't really the NCAA business. I have an "Uncle" who really isn't an uncle but a close family friend. Technically, anytime he were to give me money, I would be breaking an NCAA rule. He gave me money when I was 5 and not even close to being an athlete at OSU, but now he needs to stop because I represent OSU as an athlete? I don't feel Smith did anything wrong, and would have no problem playing him. I have no idea who the better guy is for the spot either. They are both really talented. I think the only thing they shouldn't do is do the constant QB swap where Smith comes in for the option and leaves for Zwick to run the shotgun. You pick your best guy and you go with him. Texas is not the team to play guessing games. I think the third stringer is a great QB, but if we see him in the Texas game, we're in trouble. Texas's D makes Miami's D look like a group of five year old girls, not the time to give the new guy "some experience" no matter how good he is.

[Teddy Ballgame]

Originally posted by Buckeye ME
Justin Zwick has not dishonored the program or my university, and has proven himself capable the last two games, so he gets the call by me. Boeckman would be backup, and TS only comes in if all other quarterbacks break their legs.

That spells loss, thank god you're not our coach!

[Slicktrax]

i say smith gets the start too. when he is in the game, the team has a certain rythm to it that zwick just doesnt bring. zwick seems to be very mechanical and methodical. smith can survive when things break down and dont go according to plan. tressel will probably say zwick gets the start until the first wobble and then gets yanked in favor of smith.

[daveisrael]

I'd like to see Smith start too, especially with the "spread" style offense OSU is leaning towards this year. If a defense has to cover Ginn on one side, Santonio Holmes on the other and then keep Smith from running in the middle, we'll be a much harder offense to stop. I do have to give Zwick some credit though, he did look a lot more mobile this year, but that may have been because of the Miami D. I'm with 'thebrian' though, I bet that Tressel will start Zwick and then throw Smith in at the first sign of trouble.

I'd have to say though, I think I'm more excited to see Hawk or Carpenter welcome Vince Young to the Big Ten :D

[Mantis]

I agree Tressel will start Justin, and will bring Troy off the bench in the third series.

Here's a what if though...
...what if Justin comes out and scores a touchdown in one of the first two series ... do we still see Troy early.

I believe Troy is the best quarterback, he's a playmaker,

but Justin has looked pretty good in the new offense and played two really good games in a row. Sad thing is, if Troy doesn't take that money from the booster, we're not even having this conversation. Troy openned the door for Justin and Justin has taken care of business.

Ultimately, I think we will win this game with either one.

Why? Tressel game plans better for big games than any coach we have had at OSU. He will find a way to contain Vince Young, and after watching Texas' first game, we flat out, have more weapons.
OSU 31 Texas 21

[cadams]

smith. he's got better chemistry with ginn, fits in the spread offense better, and can run much better than zwick. not that i wanna go back to the days of stanley, but with the spread offense, a running qb adds a whole other dimention. something i feel texas has little exposure to, and will not be prepared for. we try to play smash mouth with texas and they're gonna knock us on our boo boo. we gotta run them to death.

honestly i wouldn't mind seeing ginn take a few snaps in this game. i could see tx running 8 man contain defense against that and ginn CAN throw pretty well.

[KMKJA1]

It's a no brainer that the Bucks offense runs better when Smith is in the game. That's the end of the story as far as I'm concerned. For those of you who think having Smith as QB is bad for OSU's image, I think you are overreacting just as ESPN did when they ran this story to death. Smith seems to be a good kid who made a mistake, admitted it and took his punishment. Let's move on.

[Buckeye ME]

This wasn't the first "mistake" Smith made. He was also in a "disturbance" his freshman year and was suspended for part of the Michigan game. Santonio Holmes was suspended in the same altercation, but he has kept his nose clean and redeemed himself. Troy has yet to earn any respect with me.

Prance - Troy didn't accept money from a family member, it was a known booster and someone he had no prior relationship with. I agree there are a lot of stupid NCAA rules, but this was pretty cut and dry.

This isn't professional football, like it or not the actions of the football players reflect on the whole university. Winning isn't the bottom line. Troy hasn't shown to me he is cared about anything more than himself.

This doesn't even begin to get into the merits of their play. How quickly we forget he blew the Purdue game with a crucial turnover in the red zone there. Everyone only loves him because he hammered Michigan.

[porky]

Everyone only loves him because he hammered Michigan.
Yeah pretty convinegly too! :D But that's not the only reason we love him! You have to admit the offense moves better with Troy @ QB!
I agree with the sentiments of Smith being a good kid who just made a mistake...
It's kinda ironic that Justin is in the position he is in, because out of high school I remember it being like life or death that he come here and play college football. And when he did chose OSU, Buckeye fans rejoiced, now he is in the position of having to battler for his job week in and week out. It's too bad because Justin would probably start at most other Division I teams in the country.
That being said, I think Troy is the better play maker, he makes stuff happen and the offense is definately more ELECTRIC with Smith at the helm.
But I think both QB's are capable of winning for us.
I think Tressel will start Zwick but still wants to play Smith, in fact he has said that Smith will play.
But when? What if like Brad said, Justin comes in the first couple of series and the offense is clicking and able to score.
Do you still bring in Smith for that 3rd series even if it's planed?
I say no, if the offense is clicking I don't think you disrupt it just to play Smith.
Is having 2 avail. QB's really a henderence? I mean the Texas coaches have to plan for 2 styles of offense right?
OSU 34 Texas 14.

[KMKJA1]

It would seem that Troy has the respect of Coach Tressel and that is what really matters. He would know better than you or I what kind of distraction Smith has been and know if he deserves to play or not. Coach seems satisfied and that is good enough for me.

[miaminemo]

i would fire tressel and bring back cooper.

Then i would start whoever he wanted.

Then osu would win. Go undefeated until playing michigan.

then lose 2.

[KMKJA1]

We could do that then replace him just before the Michagen game.

[Mantis]

I just thought of this. What do you think?

You slot Troy in the backfield, behind Justin. You throw a backward pass to Troy who has the option of running or throwing the deep ball to Ginn.

Or this:
You run the option with Ginn at QB, Troy in the backfield, if the ball gets pitched to Troy he can either throw it or run.

[Buckeye ME]

I really believe you will see a play Saturday, if not then at some point this year, where TS and JZ are in the game at the same time. Think of the defensive chaos.

[daveisrael]

i would fire tressel and bring back cooper.
Problem with this is that OSU fans (including myself) want two things at the end of the season....... a national championship and/or a victory over Michigan (a bowl game victory is a distant third). Cooper could never accomplish either one......I will give him credit for being a great recruiter though.
You slot Troy in the backfield, behind Justin. You throw a backward pass to Troy who has the option of running or throwing the deep ball to Ginn.
Or this: You run the option with Ginn at QB, Troy in the backfield, if the ball gets pitched to Troy he can either throw it or run.
Isn't it great.....with so many weapons this year the options are endless.....I just hope they can put them all together.

[digitaldego77]

I've got an idea. OSU, being above all other things a LEARNING INSTITUTION, lets start the QB with the highest GPA. Okay - you may begin laughing now.

[cadams]

haha. you can't get away with to qb's in the back feild unless you're running wishbone. you gotta have someone back there that can throw a block a) because you need it with a 4 man line and b) you can't sell the play at the line of scrimmage with 2 qbs in the back feild. the ONLY way you'll see this is JZ as qb, TS as a flanker.

you will, however, see ginn with passing yards. promise.

[porky]

I agree w/cadams you need another blocker back there, especially against Texas. Both good points!

[Mantis]

I didn't say you couldn't put Schnittker back there as well to block.

At some point I think we will see a formation Saturday with both QB's.

[NEEDMONEYFORMORESALT]

I know i'm gonna get bashed for this one but i'll let it go anyways. Smith came in last year when the Ginn was finally getting used to routes and was allowed to recieve punts. Also the offensive line was starting to Gel. If you look at the teams, besides a michigan game that was incredible but had some impressive catches and fast legs, they were teams at the bottom of the big ten. I still am not a believer that smith is that much better than zwick.

[Buckeye ME]

I agree that it is hard to compare the two due to the completely different offensive schemes that were run, but I do think Smith is ever so slightly better. However, I don't think the difference is big enough to warrant him getting all the snaps given his past indiscretions. Who knows when he will screw up again and Zwick will have to play all the time?

[xdusty6920]

im going to do 2 things ive never done before. first, i very muchly agree with what buckeye me is saying and secondly im going to give a completely wolverine free opinion on football.
i dont think your challenge will be offensive, i think it will be defensive. vince young and his buddy that lines up behind him are both going to be impossible to contain. they will score points and they will be able to move the ball. i feel it will come down to how osu reacts and how well they can control the bleeding. if they keep thier wits and dont get all hands up in the air about it theyll have a good shot at winning this game.
although texas has a strong front on defense and osu having an average running back doesnt help, i think there is a strong point for osu. texas isnt particularly strong when it comes to pass protection. with wheels like ginn and gamble as an option it doesnt really matter whos tossing the pig skin. zwick and smith can both get the ball to the reciever and i think thats all it will take. but if i had to choose id say put troy smith in the game. not because he is a better qb but because he is mobile and having that option spreads out the defense a ton. keep your eyes to the sky and make the big ten proud!

[thebrian]

Zwick does have the better arm of the two though. And he has those Elf ears to help him out. And OSU has always been known for it's defense.

BTW, Dusty - sent you a PM on the CORA site.

~Brian

[BigManBud]

Hello there. I am a Texas Grad, and my friend who reads this site religiously has never posted much. Have mercy on him as he is being nice enough to let me respond...

Some of ya'll have made reference to your team's plethora of weapons. Texas has quite a few as well. V. Young needs no mention, but some Texas Fans have whispered under their breathe that they are pleasantly suprised by the Freshman RB's we plugged in when our starter, Selvin Young, had an ankle injury. Henry Melton, our third string back, almost made it to the endzone everytime he got a touch. On one touchdown run, he broke 7 tackles. Charles, our second stringer, broke the rushing record held by freshman running backs in their first game. THey are both bound for greatness, but they are Fish ( a little ReefCentral humor) and they can cough up the ball from your bad *** LB's possibly.

Oh, and don't forget the name, "Ramonce Taylor". Think Ted Ginn Jr., but less polished. He is a threat to take it to the house anytime he touches the ball.

VY's main target is Dave Thomas, our All-American Tight End. Our recieving core was very unproven last year, mostly because D. Thomas and our other TE were getting most the balls thrown to them last year. But dont let that fool you, our WR's are not the caliber of your team, but Jordan SHipley, Limas Sweed, and Brian Carter are very gifted, and are running crisper routes.

Yes, your Qb's are talented, but we have seen many, many talented Qb's in recent history. In the Big 12 alone, We have faced, Jason White at OU (who though beat us last year, was held mostly in check by the Texas D. It was Peterson who gained 225 yards against us) Brad Smith at Mizzou(who I would put in the same category as Troy Smith) and Reggie Mcneal from A&M(Who is a talented QB, but lacks the line). Throw in the stellar performance from Meatchicken's Chad Penne(I know ya'll wiped the field with him, perhaps he isnt a great example to bring up), and we can easily say we have seen some of the best.

This game will be decided in the trenches. Your DL is good, but our OL may be the best this side of the NFL. Our D line eats children ALA Mike Tyson, and your Oline could easily be blamed for screw ups last year against Northwestern and Purdue. Keep in mind, Baylor could have played Northwestern toe to toe last year. BAYLOR! Yes they have a year of experience, but that is not always a good thing...

Unfortunately, Special teams is our biggest weakness. SCUM had excellent field position all day in the Rose Bowl due to KR's near the fifty. Our PK missed THREE extra pts vs. Ulala last weekend, and we all know that punting to Ginn is just plain stupid. Regardless of our line advantage offensively and defensively, Special teams may prove to be too much of an advantage for ya'll.

And believe me, no Horn fan is taking the Shoe - at night, 26-0 vs non conference at home, 6 - 0 at night games - for granted. Just understand, Kyle field (A&M)is very tough to play at, as well as last year when we played the Hogs in Fayettenam. Yes, these places are significantly smaller than the Shoe, but they are as loud as anyplace, espescialy when you consider their orangeblood-hatred. Keep in mind too, we put an end to Nebraska's 47 game home winning streak, and have come away with wins versus Kstate when they were 7th in the country.

It can truly go both ways. This game could be played 10 times, and the end result could be 5-5. Good luck Bucks, thank you for scheduling Texas, and I hope your return visit to Austin shapes up to be a doozy just as this one!

Hook em'

[daveisrael]

This is one heck of a match up.......its gotta be the non-conference match-up of the year. Good luck to you guys and no matter what......we'll see you next year. Just as a side note......who's that on the cover of Sports Illustrated this week?

http://i.cnn.net/si/si_online/covers/images/2005/0912_large.jpg

[szwab]

Originally posted by BigManBud
Hello there. I am a Texas Grad, and my friend who reads this site religiously has never posted much. Have mercy on him as he is being nice enough to let me respond...

Some of ya'll have made reference to your team's plethora of weapons. Texas has quite a few as well. V. Young needs no mention, but some Texas Fans have whispered under their breathe that they are pleasantly suprised by the Freshman RB's we plugged in when our starter, Selvin Young, had an ankle injury. Henry Melton, our third string back, almost made it to the endzone everytime he got a touch. On one touchdown run, he broke 7 tackles. Charles, our second stringer, broke the rushing record held by freshman running backs in their first game. THey are both bound for greatness, but they are Fish ( a little ReefCentral humor) and they can cough up the ball from your bad *** LB's possibly.

Oh, and don't forget the name, "Ramonce Taylor". Think Ted Ginn Jr., but less polished. He is a threat to take it to the house anytime he touches the ball.

VY's main target is Dave Thomas, our All-American Tight End. Our recieving core was very unproven last year, mostly because D. Thomas and our other TE were getting most the balls thrown to them last year. But dont let that fool you, our WR's are not the caliber of your team, but Jordan SHipley, Limas Sweed, and Brian Carter are very gifted, and are running crisper routes.

Yes, your Qb's are talented, but we have seen many, many talented Qb's in recent history. In the Big 12 alone, We have faced, Jason White at OU (who though beat us last year, was held mostly in check by the Texas D. It was Peterson who gained 225 yards against us) Brad Smith at Mizzou(who I would put in the same category as Troy Smith) and Reggie Mcneal from A&M(Who is a talented QB, but lacks the line). Throw in the stellar performance from Meatchicken's Chad Penne(I know ya'll wiped the field with him, perhaps he isnt a great example to bring up), and we can easily say we have seen some of the best.

This game will be decided in the trenches. Your DL is good, but our OL may be the best this side of the NFL. Our D line eats children ALA Mike Tyson, and your Oline could easily be blamed for screw ups last year against Northwestern and Purdue. Keep in mind, Baylor could have played Northwestern toe to toe last year. BAYLOR! Yes they have a year of experience, but that is not always a good thing...

Unfortunately, Special teams is our biggest weakness. SCUM had excellent field position all day in the Rose Bowl due to KR's near the fifty. Our PK missed THREE extra pts vs. Ulala last weekend, and we all know that punting to Ginn is just plain stupid. Regardless of our line advantage offensively and defensively, Special teams may prove to be too much of an advantage for ya'll.

And believe me, no Horn fan is taking the Shoe - at night, 26-0 vs non conference at home, 6 - 0 at night games - for granted. Just understand, Kyle field (A&M)is very tough to play at, as well as last year when we played the Hogs in Fayettenam. Yes, these places are significantly smaller than the Shoe, but they are as loud as anyplace, espescialy when you consider their orangeblood-hatred. Keep in mind too, we put an end to Nebraska's 47 game home winning streak, and have come away with wins versus Kstate when they were 7th in the country.

It can truly go both ways. This game could be played 10 times, and the end result could be 5-5. Good luck Bucks, thank you for scheduling Texas, and I hope your return visit to Austin shapes up to be a doozy just as this one!

Hook em'

Buckeye at heart
I'll say it......nice post and best of luck on Sat. (you guys will need it :) )

[porky]

I’m confident that the 3 amigos (Hawk, Schlegel and Carpenter) can contain Young. They may be the fastest linebacker core in the nation. I think their speed along with their football knowledge will make it difficult for Young to break out into open spaces… his strength!

[cadams]

can't flame your post BMB, rather diplomatic considering you walked into the lion's den.

both teams have tremendous offensive potential. I think our weapons are sharper. taylor is fast, very fast. but ginn is more than football fast, he's world-class-sprinter fast. i think the difference in their accelerration is negligible, but ginn's top speed is just un-matched. he is quite posibly the fastest man to touch a football. i mean, the kid ran a 10.7 sec 100m dash with the flu. he missed the world games by i think, like, .3 seconds (i may be off +/- .1). ginn healthy, there is a very small percentage of athletes in the world that can match him, let alone catch him. and all those folks run track.

however if that big d keeps the qb from giving him the ball, the points moot.

but i agree both your OL and DL are better than ours. if the game is close at the end, i gotta admit, i'll be worried. thats were the game will be.

and i saw a comment back there, something about a coincidence that smith 'seems' to have better chemistry with ginn. i disagree. smith has been throwing to the guy for 5 years. its rare to see that relationship in the NFL these days, let alone college. now zwick i feel, while not so much the better arm, sees the field better, is a traditional qb, just reads a defenes better.

after thinking it over for a bit, I say give zwick the start. if nothing else, just to feel them out. put smith in when we need to hit the gas and really move the ball.

[Buckeye ME]

This has been the longest 4 day work week ever. The anticipation is killing me!

[Mantis]

I feel exactly the same way.

[szwab]

not to mention waiting till 8 for the game.

[Slicktrax]

put your "Hang on Sloopy" CD in the computer. time will start flying.

[Buckeye ME]

I've got it downloaded here at work, but I don't want to get too pumped and lose steam later.

Jimmy Buffett until 4:00, then it's finally time to start the weekend.