No Urban Meyer. Nick Bosa injured. Haters doubting their first two games, and a tough and tricky foe playing 20 mins from their own campus in their home state.
None of these factors stopped Ohio State’s super sophomore quarterback Dwayne Haskins vs. No.15 Texas Christian University Saturday night.
In what many consider to be No.4-ranked Ohio State’s first true test away from Columbus both Haskins and the high-scoring Buckeyes aced the proverbial exam with flying colors.
Scarlet and gray ones of course!
In what was a back-and-forth offensive shootout straight out of Madden that had over 1,000 total yards between the two teams (1,037), Ohio State and TCU traded punches worthy of Canelo Alvarez and Triple G were out in Las Vegas. Thankfully for Ohio State, Haskins landed the KO punch vs. the Frogs in the Buckeyes 40-28 win.
In his third start under center, the 6’3, 218-pounder from Highland Park, New Jersey showed why he is the future of Buckeyes football in completing 24-of-38 passes from 344 yards with two passing touchdowns and one on the ground.
Per noted Ohio State website, Eleven Warriors, Haskins’ 344-yard outburst was the seventh-best single-game passing performance by a Buckeyes QB since Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith dropped 342 yards on Notre Dame in 2005, while Art Schlichter’s record mark of 458 vs. Florida State in 1981 is safe, Haskins entered some rarefied air down in Jerryworld.
Dare I say, it also put him in the conversation for the Heisman. Yes it does.
While notable QB’s such as Washington’s Jake Browning, Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, Mackenzie Milton from Central Florida and Will Grier from West Virginia will garner some attention, Haskins is the best pro-style NFL prototype of QB to play in Columbus in recent memory.
Through three games, Haskins has 890 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and one interception in his first three starts, while completing 78 percent of his passes. No Buckeyes QB—including the forementioned Smith has ever composed those type of numbers.
And while many see Ohio State as D.B. University, and has produced ballers who ball on Sundays such as Ezekiel Elliott, Michael Thomas, Marcus Lattimore, Denzel Ward, Gareth Conley and Eli Apple, Ohio State has never had a QB quite like Haskins.
Terrelle Pryor, Braxton Miller were at best, athletes trying to play QB, and while J.T. Barrett is a QB who can run—but not pass effectively downfield—and Cardale Jones has size and a big arm, Haskins is the best of both with better accuracy and touch, who has both size and can run when necessary.
If his brilliant performance in Arlington was his Heisman coming-our party, then consider Haskins’ Heisman campaign officially underway and off to a good start.