Quarterbacks Under Jim Tressel

Todd Boeckman, a 5th-year Senior will be in his 2nd year as the starting quarterback of the Buckeyes this year. How have 2nd year quarterbacks done under Jim Tressel? What can we expect of Boeckman in his second year? Here is a quick look back at the quarterbacks in the Jim Tressel era (2001-present).

Year/Quarterback/Record/Results
2001/Steve Bellisari/6-5/lost Outback Bowl to S. Carolina
2001/Craig Krenzel/1-0/def. Michigan 26-20 in Ann Arbor
2002/Craig Krenzel/14-0/won National Championship (def. Miami 31-24 in Fiesta)
2003/Craig Krenzel/11-2/def. KSU 35-28 in Fiesta, lost to Wisc. and UofM
2004/Justin Zwick and Troy Smith/8-4/def. Oklahoma St. 33-7 in alamo
2005/Troy Smith/10-2def. NDU 34-20 in Fiesta, lost to Texas and Penn State
2006/Troy Smith/12-1/lost to Florida 14-41 in BCS NC Game
2007/Todd Boeckman/11-2/Lost to Illinois and LSU in BCS NC Game

The two years in which quarterbacks had a 2nd year in which they followed a full year in Year #1 was 2003, in which Krenzel led the Buckeyes to a BCS Bowl, and 2006, when Smith won the Heisman and led the Buckeyes to the national championship game, only to get drilled by Florida. Too many banquets, supposedly.

2003 was a year with a big what if: What if Maurice Clarett had stayed? A comment by Brent Musberger late in the 2003 season has stuck with me. He said (roughly), "I would go back and change my (2002) Heisman vote to Maurice Clarett, after seeing the Buckeyes without him this year." Clearly Krenzel was forced to do much more without a top-tier back like Clarett. In 2007, Todd Boeckman will face no such problem. Chris Wells is a Heisman cnadidate and Boeckman will have a strong running game to work with. He will not have to carry the load offensively as Krenzel did in 2003.

In 2006, Troy Smith had a vast array of offensive weapons to go with his great throwing and running ability. Ginn, Gonzalez, Pittman (a very underappreciated back), Robiskie and Hartline, and also Chris Wells in his freshman season. Smith's group of talent may be better than what Boeckman will have, but with the addition of Pryor, the talent level may be very similar. In my mind, the deep threat of Ginn stretched defenses more so than any receiver that the Buckeyes currently have, although the Buckeyes receiving corps is probably deeper as a group than it was in 2006. What can be said is, the Buckeyes in 2008 have the talent on their team to win every game on the schedule. Whether Todd Boeckman will lead them to glory, however, and bring Jim Tressel his second national championship, remains to be seen.

Overall, quarterbacks in Boeckman's situation, such as Krenzel in 2003 and Smith in 2006 have done very well, and you can expect the Buckeyes once again to be going bowling sometime after the New Year. Whether it is in Pasadena, Tempe or Miami, however, remains the big question.