Mac Aljancic: Ranking the top 10 Ohio State quarterbacks
With C.J. Stroud’s illustrious college career coming to an end, let’s see where he ranks in my latest "10-4 Good Buddy" list: Top 10 Ohio State quarterbacks over the last four-plus decades. The passing game has greatly evolved during this time, so besides stats and accomplishments, I also incorporated my own heart test: Who did I have the most faith in to pull out a tight fourth-quarter win?
10, Bobby Hoying (1993-95)
Hoying was a classic drop-back passer playing under the shadow of Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George, who finished his career first in touchdown passes and second in passing yards for Ohio State. As a senior All-Big Ten performer (finishing 10th in the Heisman voting), he set OSU single-season records in TD passes (29), passing yards (3269), completion percentage (.619) and passing efficiency (163.4). Late-season let-downs blemish his resume. In both his sophomore (sharing snaps with Bret Powers) and senior seasons, the Buckeyes were undefeated before getting upset by mediocre Michigan squads. He also lost consecutive Citrus Bowls.
9, Joe Germaine (1996-98)
Germaine was another talented QB hindered by coach John Cooper’s infatuation with the two-quarterback system, sharing duties with Stanley Jackson for two years. As a sophomore, he ended an Ohio State 23-year Rose Bowl drought by throwing the winning TD pass in the final seconds to knock off undefeated Arizona State. In both his sophomore and senior years, the Buckeyes finished the season as the nation’s second-ranked team. As a senior, Germaine finished ninth in the Heisman voting and set a school record for passing yards (3,330). His career passer rating ranked first in Big Ten history at the time.
8, J.T. Barrett (2014-17)
Barrett has the resume to top this list. He is still the Big Ten career leader in total yards (12,697) and touchdowns (147) and had a 38-6 record as a starter. He had an electric freshman year, finishing fourth in the Heisman voting. But after breaking his ankle vs. Michigan that season, his career trended downward. Cardale Jones took over, led the Buckeyes to the national title, and became the starter in 2015. Barrett eventually regained his starting position but regressed into a conservative, hesitant passer. Urban Meyer relied on him more as power runner inside. His arm just didn’t scare opponents like the rest of this list.
7, Art Schlichter (1978-81)
Schlichter was Ohio State’s first true passing star. After struggling as a freshman under Woody Hayes (4 TD passes, 21 interceptions), Schlister narrowly missed leading Earle Bruce’s 1979 team to an undefeated national championship, falling to USC 17-16 in the final minutes of the Rose Bowl. Art could scorch teams with his arm (his 7,547 passing yards still rank second in school history) and legs (1,303 career rushing yards). He finished in the top six in Heisman Trophy voting in each of his final three seasons. His many bad decisions on the gridiron (46 interceptions) pale in consequence to the mess that his life became due to a severe gambling addiction.
6, Terelle Pryor (2008-10)
Pryor can bring out the bitterness in Buckeye Nation, given his role in the "Tattoo-gate" scandal that led to coach Jim Tressel's resignation and NCAA probation for the program. Still, he led the team to three Big Ten titles, was the MVP of the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl, and ranked second behind only Schlichter in total offensive yards (8,365) and touchdowns (74). In Tressel’s conservative offense, Pryor was a guy who made the big play time and time again when his team needed it, using his 6-foot-7 frame to bounce off many tackles, and those long strides to speed past the first down marker.
5, Braxton Miller (2011-13)
Miller had a powerful arm, but his accuracy and ability to read defenses were suspect at times. He overcame those limitations with his amazing athleticism, displaying breathtaking video-game moves on a weekly basis. Miller was the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year as both a sophomore and junior, passing for 4,033 yards and 39 TDs (vs. 13 interceptions) while also running for 2,339 yards and 25 touchdowns. OSU won 24 of 25 games during that time before Miller suffered a shoulder injury in an Orange Bowl loss to Clemson that forced him to sit out 2014 and switch to receiver in 2015.
4, Dwayne Hawkins (2018)
Haskins could top this list as a strictly pure passer, with outstanding arm strength, accuracy, and decision-making. His 4,831 passing yards and 50 touchdown passes (vs. 8 interceptions) during his redshirt sophomore season obliterated OSU records by margins of 1,501 yards and 16 TDs. Haskins finished third in the Heisman voting, as the Buckeyes' only loss that year was an ugly 49-20 beat down at Purdue. His lack of mobility and sole season as an OSU starter keep him down on my list.
3, C.J. Stroud (2021-22)
Stroud is almost a clone of Haskins: a very reluctant runner with sensational passing skills. Stroud’s 2021 numbers (4,435 yards, 44 TD passes and just 6 interceptions) are second only to Haskins in the Ohio State record book. His impressive 2022 numbers (3,340 yards, 37 TDs vs. 6 INT) were definitely hurt by key injuries at receiver and running back. Stroud finished fourth and third in Heisman voting those years. His two losses to Michigan hurt his resume, though his play was outstanding in 2021 in the Ann Arbor snow, completing 34 of 49 passes for 394 yards and two touchdowns. He followed that loss with a record-setting Rose Bowl win over Utah: 573 passing yards and 6 TD tosses.
2, Justin Fields (2019-20)
Fields' stat line for the 2019 season when he finished third in the Heisman voting is jaw-dropping: He passed for 3273 yards and 41 TDs (vs. just 3 interceptions) while rushing for 484 yards and another 10 touchdowns. In 2020, he was one of the key voices in getting the Big Ten to change direction and play through the COVID pandemic. In the College Football Playoff semifinals that year, he avenged a narrow playoff loss to Clemson the previous year by throwing for 385 yards and 6 touchdowns to beat the Tigers. Fields and the next guy top this list because of their true dual-threat abilities. Both were pure passers with strong, accurate arms that could also kill opponents with their amazing running skills.
1, Troy Smith (2004-06)
Smith gets the top spot due to his 2006 Heisman Trophy, which he locked up by leading the top-ranked Buckeyes to a 45-38 shoot-out win over No. 2 Michigan. In going 3-0 vs. the Wolverines, Smith completed 68% of his passes for 857 yards, 7 touchdowns, and just 1 interception, while also rushing for 186 yards and 2 TDs.
This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Mac Aljancic's 10-4 Good Buddy is his top 10 all-time Ohio State QBs
