Dave Thurman (11:40 am)

It has often been said that the quarterback at Ohio State is always on the hot seat.  His is the most scrutinized and analyzed position on the field, and while it can be glamorous it can also be hazardous to one’s health and psyche.  Those with a poor self image need not apply for signal caller in Columbus. 

Returning starter Todd Boeckman can attest to all of this, as he has been under the microscope this offseason, with many fans calling for Tressel to consider benching Todd in favor of Joe Bauserman or Terrelle Pryor.  Well, I’m here to tell you it ain’t going to happen!  Not just because Boeckman is older than some starting quarterbacks in the NFL or because Tressel is stubbornly loyal, but due to the fact that Todd is a pretty darn good quarterback. 

Most first year starters at OSU experience some ups and downs and that was certainly the case in 2007 for Todd.  But overall he exceeded expectations and took a young team to the National Championship game.  Most of the year, he did a good job of dissecting the defense and throwing the deep ball, although he seemed to struggle a little against the three-deep zone.

Now I know there are plenty of critics out there who point to Todd’s performance against Illinois, which was certainly lacking, and then throw in that he played poorly against Michigan and LSU.  Before I analyze those three games, though, let me remind you of a few of the good things he accomplished last year:

-In the opener against Youngstown State, when the undersized but speedy Penguins shut down Beanie and the run, Todd threw the ball masterfully, completing 74% of his passes.

-At Washington, facing a halftime deficit and a hostile crowd, he came out and took over the game in the second half, starting with a beautiful deep ball to Robiskie.

-He threw four touchdowns against Northwestern in little more than a half of work.

-In the personal highlight of his year, Todd picked apart Penn State on the road, making a joke of the vaunted PSU whiteout.  Now remember that a couple of years earlier another touted junior quarterback, a guy by the name of Troy Smith, struggled mightily facing the Nits at night.  Most analysts thought Todd would face a similar fate, but he completed 73% of his passes that evening and threw three touchdowns to help the Bucks blow out their rivals to the east.

That’s some pretty heady stuff for a first year starter, especially when you consider that he had to deal with the early departure of the team’s two star receivers.  Lest we forget, TB had a lot more highlights than low spots during the ’07 campaign.

But there were those dreaded late season letdowns. So briefly let’s examine them one by one.

The Illinois game was a huge shock to a lot of folks, and Todd was certainly a big part of the problem with no touchdowns and three interceptions.  The truth is, however, that it might have been a different day if the defense had shown up at all, and if the referees had decided to call holding and/or review an obvious fumble by the Illini.  Ironically, the Illinois fans had a quarterback controversy of their own brewing as they entered the OSU game, with many wanting to bench Juice Williams in favor of Eddie McGee.  But then the Buckeye defense made Williams look like Vince Young, and the debate quickly subsided.

In “The Game” up at the world’s largest toilet bowl, I contend that Todd played just fine.  It was an impossible day to throw the ball, as evidenced by UM completing less than 33% of their throws for a measly 76 yards.  Todd did what he needed to do, we got the W, and that’s all that matters in my opinion.

Playing the biggest game of his life, Boeckman’s performance was a mixed bag.  He had 2 TD’s and threw 2 picks, at times looking pretty good, and at other moment’s developing happy feet that led to nervous decisions.  Still, I point to two important facts: 1) The defense had a terrible scheme which was exploited by LSU – the single greatest contributing factor in the loss; and 2) Had the usually reliable Robiskie held on to a sure TD early in the game, the Bucks might not only have eventually won, but some of the pressure would have been taken off of Boeckman, and he might have played a pretty good game.  So, I don’t think Todd played as poorly as many would have us believe.

Of course we don’t live in a could-have or might-have-been world.  When a team loses a game, the quarterback takes the most heat other than the old ball coach.  Without doubt the year didn’t end as well as Boeckman would have liked, so here’s hoping that Todd will learn from his mistakes, and become a better quarterback in ’08.

If you look down through the annals of OSU football, you will notice that senior quarterbacks who return as starters generally make large improvements and have excellent seasons.  Tressel is counting on that kind of progression for Boeckman.  No doubt, Pryor will get some chances to run the “Tebow spread” on occasion.  And, Bauserman looks like a keeper, possessing both a live arm and legs.  But make no mistake about it: TB is the starter in Columbus.  There is no quarterback controversy in Tressel’s mind whatsoever.

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