QB woes: Boeckman still unproven

September 18, 2008


Caleb Vance

QB woes: Boeckman still unproven

Ohio State quarterback Todd Boeckman has been unable to produce for the Buckeyes when they need him most. Last Saturday, Boeckman went 14-21 for 84 yards as the Trojans trounced the Bucks 35-3. This game brought OSU fans flashbacks of the two previous BCS Bowl games in which Ohio State was dominated by much quicker SEC teams (LSU and Florida). However whenever Freshman quarterback Terelle Pryor came in the Buckeye offense seemed to move the chains and looked like they belonged in the game. This brought up the question....When is Pryor going to take over and be the starting quarterback for the Bucks?

This quarterback situation reminds me of the 2005 quarterback situation where Justin Zwick had been starting over Troy Smith. Troy Smith had lead his team to victories however Tressel insisted on keeping Zwick as the starter untill OSU's loss to Texas, which was too late. However Pryor is not six feet tall Troy Smith. He is 6'5 with a fair arm and makes smart decisions for a freshman. Did I mention he can run?

Even though it seemed as if Ohio State had no chance I think the game could have been different if there were a few different coaching decisions made. Tressel needs to play the best players if he wants to beat these top teams. Boeckman is not mobile at all and that always hurts the Bucks when they play top ranked teams. Tressel also seems to be conservative. If you didn't notice Pete Carroll was still calling long balls down field even when the Trojans were up 21-3. As the year goes on if the Bucks continue to start Boeckman OSU could be looking at another loss in conference play.

Until then In Pryor We Trust

Keywords: bcs, buckeyes, college football, columbus, football, jim tressel, ncaa, ohio, ohio state, pete carroll, southern cal, terelle pryor, the shoe, todd boeckman, trojans, university of southern california, usc trojans

Posted by Caleb Vance | Like this post? Share it:

Comments

  1. As a Michigan fan, I always enjoy seeing the Buckeyes get annihilated.  You are definitely correct, though, when it comes to OSU being better with Pryor.  After last saturday, it seems as if Tressel probably agrees, too.  The word is Boeckman and Pryor will evenly split time this week against Troy.  I understand wanting to show loyalty to your senior quarterback, but now that the national championship is in all likelihood out of reach, they should definitely work in Pryor and ease him into a full starting role by midseason.  If Boeckman as a senior fails to admit that his play over the last 6 games warrants him being benched, then he's probably not worth being loyal to anyway.

    That said, the Buckeyes lucked out with the schedule for the most part, getting Penn State and Michigan at home.  They still are Big Ten contenders, but unless Pryor is playing the majority of the snaps and Wells is back and healthy in 2 weeks in Madison, they should be ready to pass the conference throne on to someone else.

    Dave Nicotera on Friday, 19 September 2008, 13:07 PDT # |

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