Joe Burrow: 'I always say I went to school at Ohio State and played football at LSU'

colin gay, columbus dispatch

Thu, Nov 9, 2023, 12:57 AM·2 min read

As the Cincinnati Bengals prepare to face C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans Sunday afternoon, Joe Burrow was faced with a familiar question: Does Ohio State claim you as a quarterback?

“I don’t know," Burrow said with a smirk during his press conference Wednesday. "You’d have to ask them."

Joe Burrow speaks to the media. https://t.co/JdgmvFxYJU
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) November 8, 2023

Burrow spent three seasons at Ohio State after signing with the Buckeyes in their 2015 class as a four-star quarterback out of The Plains, Ohio. From 2015-17, Burrow completed 29 of 39 pass attempts for 287 yards, three touchdowns — two passing and one rushing — and no interceptions, sitting behind quarterbacks such as Cardale Jones, J.T. Barrett and Dwayne Haskins on the depth chart.

After transferring to LSU in May 2018, Burrow shined, throwing for 8,565 passing yards, 76 passing touchdowns and 11 interceptions in two seasons, taking home the Heisman Trophy in 2019 before becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft by the Bengals.

But Burrow said his relationship between Ohio State and LSU has remained consistent.

"I always say I went to school at Ohio State and played football at LSU," Burrow said. "That's how I think about it."

Burrow returned to Ohio Stadium in 2022 for Ohio State's season opener against Notre Dame, attending the game with former teammates like Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, Chase Young, Ezekiel Elliott and Bengals teammate Sam Hubbard, who Burrow walked onto the field with.

Sep 3, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Joe Burrow before the NCAA football game between Ohio State Buckeyes and Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Robertson-USA TODAY Sports

In 50 NFL games with the Bengals across four seasons, Burrow has thrown 94 touchdowns and 35 interceptions, completing 68% of his passes for an average of nearly 273 passing yards per game. He has posted a 29-20-1 record as a starting quarterback.

Burrow will face Stroud, the reigning AFC Offensive Player of the Week, who broke the NFL's single-game rookie passing record with 470 yards in the Texans' comeback win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Burrow and the Bengals will take on Stroud and the Texans at 1 p.m. Sunday at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.