Spring Intro: QBs

As Ohio State prepares to start spring practice starts on Thursday I thought it would be beneficial to take at look, in segments, at what the Buckeyes have heading into the first pad popping of 2008. Tonight, we take a look at the quarterbacks.

Last season: Todd Boeckman started every game in 2007 and finished 13th in the nation in pass efficiency. Interestingly, and perhaps disconcertingly, Boeckman threw more interceptions than every other QB in the top 15 with the exception of Tulsa’s Paul Smith and Colt Brennan (they had nearly twice as many attempts, however). Even more noteworthy, at 4.7% Boeckman had the highest interception percentage/attempt among the top 15, by more than one percentage point. But he led his team to the national championship game, something no other QB in the top 60 accomplished (Matt Flynn was 64th). That may be the most important stat of all.

This season: Boeckman is back as the starter for a second full season. Assuming he maintains the top spot on the depth chart, he will be the third quarterback to start for two full seasons under Tressel along with Krenzel and Smith (give or take). While Krenzel had a less spectacular second season (how could he not?), Troy blew up and led the most explosive offense Ohio State had seen since 1998, while winning the Heisman. So what is in store for Boeckman? Will his second season trend more towards Krenzel’s or Smith’s?

The starter: It is hard to imagine Boeckman having a breakout season the way Troy did in 2006, for a couple of reasons. First, Smith was the emerging playmaker on the 2006 offense. Boeckman holds no such distinction. That title belongs to Beanie Wells. Second, Ohio State believed it needed to outscore its opponents because of an inexperienced defense, and Troy was given the keys to the car and no curfew. Boeckman, however, is supported by a stellar defense going into ’08.

Despite all the Pryor hype and the perceived ambivalence toward Boeckman, he is the unequivocal starter for 2007. Barring injury, it is difficult to imagine a scenario where that is not the case. Considering the wealth of talent on both sides of the ball, why mess with a good thing?

The reserves: This is where it really gets interesting. Boeckman may have a solid grip on the starting spot but that hardly means this position should be ignored during spring drills. Antonio Henton battled back admirably from his early season indiscretion. He did so well, in fact, that he supplanted Rob Schoenhoft on the depth chart, which caused his transfer to Delaware. We all heard the rumors about Henton getting snaps in the national championship game. That never materialized but you know what they say; there is a little truth in every rumor. It is worth keeping an eye on Henton this spring as this is his last chance to put some distance between himself and Pryor.

Joe Bauserman, a one-time highly-rated prospect from Tallahassee, FL is the third QB at spring practice. Bauserman is only a redshirt freshman, but his timing could not have been worse. If he had come straight from high school there is a reasonable chance he would be the Buckeyes starting quarterback in 2008. Instead, he has to endure another season behind Boeckman and then compete with Henton and Pryor for the starting job. An unenviable position indeed.

This just in: Pickerington, Ohio native Justin Boren has left the Michigan team. No specifics were given in the article in the Ann Arbor News.

Funny Pages: Joe Blundo wrote a funny piece in today’s paper about the Terrelle Pryor hype machine. It is a quick read, but definitely worth your time. Check it out.

Buckeye Commentary Pool: After the first weekend of play, the Buckeye Commentary League is as tightly packed as the NBA’s Western Conference, as only 40 points separates the top 10 teams. Yours truly is second to last. (Ugh.) Despite a tie for the top spot, T. Hubbard holds a slight edge in PPR with 1000. Below is the top 10, for your viewing pleasure. For complete league standings, click here.