Oller: And then there were two -- OSU QBs Will Howard, Devin Brown separate from pack
The truth about the Ohio State spring football game is you find out more about who isn’t than who is.
Or as a salty old coach once told me, “You can’t win the starting job in spring but you can lose it.”
I wouldn’t go that far, but agree the annual scrimmage weeds out those who are not ready to step in and play right away.
And nowhere is the weeding process more evident than at quarterback, where on a glorious Saturday afternoon the sun-soaked crowd of 80,012 had confirmed for them what already was assumed about the quarterback competition.
The young QBs aren’t ready for prime time – sophomore Lincoln Kienholz tossed two interceptions and freshmen Julian Sayin and Air Noland each threw one. None of the three looked exceptional, so Will Howard and Devin Brown will go back and forth through summer workouts and fall camp until one is named the starter. Unless Brown transfers, which you never know, but doubt it.
Howard probably eventually wins the job. As a former Ohio State coach whispered to me before the scrimmage, “You don’t bring in a guy for one year and not start him.”
Unless, of course, that guy clearly is inferior to the main competition. And Howard, who transferred from Kansas State in January, did nothing Saturday to suggest he should be second string.
Neither did Brown, which makes the next 4½ months similar to last year, when Brown and Kyle McCord were neck-and-neck for the starting role until McCord pulled away late in fall camp. For OSU fans, a lack of separation between the two quarterbacks can be seen two ways: you can feel good with either of them running the offense; or you can conclude that having two competent quarterbacks means you don’t have an elite one.
Time will tell. Just don’t expect that time to be soon. Coach Ryan Day and quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator Chip Kelly would not tip their hands to which of the two upperclassmen leads the competition.
“I’m not going to make any declarations right now,” Day said, surprising no one. It would have been shocking only if he announced a starter.
Kelly was more effusive, as usual, but only after offering some vanilla. The starting quarterback decision will be made, he said, “between now and whenever it is.”
I see politics in Kelly’s future.
The new OC continued on, adding some intrigue when he punted the QB call to the team at large.
“You always want to (make the decision) earlier, but I also believe, every time I’ve been involved in this, that it kind of happens organically,” he said. “The players know. If you say, ‘We’ve decided we’re going to be with Joe,’ and they think it’s Tim … they’re in the locker room every day. Players understand who they feel is the guy. And most of the time the decision is very obvious.”
Nothing was obvious Saturday, other than the separation between Howard-Brown and the other three. Based on what went down in the Horseshoe, I would grade each of the two QBs a solid “B,” or B+ if you award extra credit for their running ability. I graded McCord a B+, despite his lack of running ability, before he transferred to Syracuse in December.
Does that mean Howard and Brown are downgrades? Not necessarily. Again, they can keep plays alive with their feet, something McCord struggled to do. I’m not convinced they are better or even equal throwers to McCord, but they’re close enough that with an improved running game under Kelly, and with what should be a top-10 defense, the quarterbacks mostly just need to not mess things up. At least during the regular season. The playoff is a different matter, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
In blustery conditions Saturday, Brown completed 5 of 7 passes for 66 yards and threaded an 11-yard touchdown throw to sophomore wide receiver Brennan Schramm. He also gained 24 yards on three scrambles. Howard, who started the scrimmage – read into that what you will – was 9 of 13 passing for 77 yards. Neither quarterback blew me away. Neither struggled.
The struggling was left to the second, third and fourth backup, in whatever order that turns out to be. (It is notable that Noland did not enter the scrimmage until the third quarter, after the other four quarterbacks had completed multiple series)
Again, the spring game is more about exposing imperfections than highlighting performance. Not that exceptional playmaking never happens – Bam Childress, anyone? – but April highlights do not guarantee future success. (See: Bam Childress).
Viewed in that light, Sayin was the rawest of the bunch. He made some good throws, finished 10 of 17, but also underthrew receivers and nearly had a second pass intercepted. Kienholz looked better than he did against Missouri in the Cotton Bowl – it would be hard to look worse – but still threw the two picks while completing 10 of 17. Noland had as many rushes (5) as completed passes.
Most of the completions by the trio were on swing passes and short out routes. Day and Kelly – or maybe just Kelly? – dialed back the downfield passing in part because of the wind, but also to keep the young guns from losing confidence.
“You try to get in a rhythm for them, get some completions, because it’s happening so fast for them,” Day said. “When you’re doing anything for the first time, certain things you’re learning and growing, and you want to make it easy for them.”
Makes sense. Still, little came easy for quarterbacks not named Howard and Brown. Get comfortable, fans. It feels like this competition is just getting started.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football spring game separates quarterback chaff from wheat
