The response was exactly what you’re looking for. The situations preceding Ohio State QB CJ Stroud’s terrific close to a 54-10 romp over Iowa, however, are exactly what NFL decision-makers will be dissecting for the next several months.
Stroud, the no. 1-ranked QB for 2023 on Dane Brugler’s preseason top 50, finished 20-of-30 for 286 yards, four touchdowns and an interception Saturday. All four of those touchdowns came after halftime. In the first half and early into the third quarter, the Buckeyes’ junior looked tight for long stretches.
Stroud entered the weekend with electric numbers through six games: 113-of-160 passing with 24 touchdowns, three interceptions and 10.9 yards per attempt (up from 10.1 last season). This, after finishing last season as a Heisman finalist with 4,435 yards, 44 TDs and six INTs. While those totals are impressive no matter who they come against, it might be worth noting that Ohio State’s earlier 2022 dates against Notre Dame, Wisconsin and Michigan State were not as challenging as preseason expectations may have suggested.
Iowa’s defense, especially from a coverage standpoint, was the best group Stroud had seen so far in 2022. Defensive coordinator Phil Parker’s secondary is annually one of the best-coached outfits in America and headed into Columbus as Pro Football Focus’ top-ranked unit in terms of coverage efficiency. The Hawkeyes don’t miss tackles, play with great leverage and technique, and are generally tough to crack.
The Hawkeyes are a nightmare on offense, which is why they’re 3-4. But, defensively, this was a nice test for Ohio State. So, while there’s a ton to like about where Stroud is right now, there are also critical questions he’ll need to continue answering during the Buckeyes’ 2022 stretch drive (primarily, at Penn State next week and against Michigan on Nov. 26) .
Most would agree Stroud and Alabama’s Bryce Young are the closest we’ve seen to a clear-cut QB1 for this upcoming draft. Both players have elite traits, but they’re really not very much alike. In fact, some of Young’s primary strengths are Stroud’s areas most in need of work, and vice versa.
For Stroud, handling pressure continues to be a thorn. He got hit with an early sack-fumble Saturday that resulted in an Iowa touchdown, although it wasn’t really his fault — the Hawkeyes’ pass rush was in his face almost immediately. There were other moments in this game, though, when pressure impacted him.
Stroud pushed throws while backpedaling with pressure in his face. He struggled to move the pocket, reset both his feet and eyes, and then delivered the ball downfield. And, in general, Stroud is not much of a willing scrambler. That last critique has been there for Stroud before, as he’ll wait far too long in the pocket for something to open up perfectly and leave yards on the table as a result.
Being able to improvise off-platform is something Stroud needs to keep working on — not just moving the pocket and making sure his feet are square before he throws again, but also resetting his eyes and not forcing the throw he wanted before he had to move .
It’s important to remember that Stroud is still young. He turned 21 earlier this month and is a true junior. Of course, that’s also true of Young (a true junior who turned 21 in July). So, while it’s fair to expect Stroud’s pocket feel to improve as he ages, the QB1 draft discussion makes it hard to ignore that Young is basically the same age and already much better there.
The response to all these hiccups, though, is just as important as the mistakes. Perhaps more so. Stroud, like many young players, can be streaky. He pushed a throw to Marvin Harrison Jr. that should’ve been a touchdown early and forced another on the interception early in the third. Part of the reason things don’t tend to snowball on Stroud is that he has elite talent surrounding him, but that can also create a lot of pressure on the quarterback to deliver.
The response Saturday — four touchdown passes after halftime against the most efficient secondary in the Big Ten — had as much to do with Stroud’s arm as it did with Ohio State’s skill level.
Stroud can make throws with an extremely high degree of difficulty look simple, but he can also make simple throws look far too complicated. The win over Iowa provided data points on both. Ultimately, however, it showed a strong finish by the quarterback who may well be the first player drafted in 2023.
Oh, speaking of the Buckeyes’ talent, we are always looking ahead…
Marvin Harrison Jr. today: 7 catches, 184 yards, 3 TDs
Would be WR1 in this draft class if eligible. https://t.co/cVMDXbuQmL
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) September 10, 2022
Another Ohio State standout who is eligible for the 2023 draft, senior edge Zach Harrison, was all over the place against the Hawkeyes (a sack, two tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a hurry). The 6-foot-6, 272-pounder has been much more active as a prospect since the start of Big Ten play.
Oregon’s OL dominates
To open the year, Oregon went through the same thing most everybody not named Alabama goes through against Georgia. Dan Lanning’s Ducks had talent then, however, and they still do. The latest evidence: No. 10 Oregon ran all over No. 9 UCLA in Eugene during a 45-30 win.
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How Oregon knocked off UCLA
The Ducks jumped out to a big lead in the first half and Oregon’s offensive line put UCLA in a shoebox the rest of the way. It was simply a dominant performance from senior center Alex Forsyth (6-4, 312), senior OT/OG TJ Bass (6-4, 325), true sophomore Jackson Powers-Johnson (6-3, 319) and the rest of that front. The Ducks have rushed for at least 260 yards in three straight games.
Forsyth has been one of the most consistent centers in the country this season. He entered the UCLA game with just one pressure allowed in more than 400 offensive snaps this season. Bass, an All-Pac-12 performer last season, was one of Brugler’s top 20 interior offensive linemen to watch entering the season.
The last four seasons have been a journey for LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, but the former top-100 prospect is here to tell you that the journey isn’t over yet. Daniels was sparkling Saturday afternoon during LSU’s 45-20 upset of No. 7 Ole Miss, going 21-of-28 for 248 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for another 121 yards and three scores. Over the last two weeks, in wins over Florida and Ole Miss, Daniels has 11 total touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Look At That Smile. Touchdown. 5. @JayD__5
📺CBS pic.twitter.com/66xL6Oic6G
— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) October 22, 2022
The 6-3, 200-pounder, who started his career with Herm Edwards and Arizona State before transferring out of a rough situation ahead of the 2022 season, has completed 70 percent of his throws this season for Brian Kelly and LSU.
Counting Saturday, Daniels has accounted for 21 TDs (12 passing, nine rushing) with just one interception. This is still the same guy who had 17 TD passes to two picks during a very impressive true freshman year at Arizona State back in 2019. That pairing didn’t work out, but Daniels has settled in at LSU and appears to be improving weekly.
He’s a QB to watch the rest of this season and, possibly, heading into the 2024 draft cycle if he chooses to remain at LSU.
Notre Dame has been up and down during Marcus Freeman’s debut season, but star tight end Michael Mayer has been as advertised. As disjointed as the Irish’s offense has been at times this year, it’s a wonder where that now 4-3 team might be without its 6-4, 265-pound point guard.
Mayer had six catches for 115 yards and a TD in Notre Dame’s 44-21 win over UNLV on Saturday. It’s the third 100-yard day of the year for Mayer and his fifth over the last two seasons. He entered Saturday as the most-targeted tight end in America, per PFF (56 targets). On those targets, he’s been credited with just one drop. If you’ve watched Notre Dame’s QB play this season, you know how impressive that is.
Completely absurd from Michael Mayer. https://t.co/TAn5NjnPSR
— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) October 22, 2022
Another Irish draft name to watch (not for this cycle, but the next one) is left tackle Joe Alt. A 6-7, 318-pound sophomore, Alt is the son of former NFL Pro Bowl tackle John Alt (a member of the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame) and has had dominant run-blocking stretches already this season. The Notre Dame tackle, who also has a brother (Mark) in the NHL, is only going to get better.
It’s been a strange run for DJ Uiagalelei at Clemson. After briefly exploding onto the scene as a true freshman in 2020, the 6-4, 235-pounder was all over the map in a disappointing sophomore season, only to open up 2022 with 17 touchdowns and just two interceptions over his first seven games.
Then, Saturday against Syracuse, the mistakes Uiagalelei had avoided for most of this season returned all at once. It was a nightmare of a day: two interceptions, a fumble that was returned for a touchdown and, in general, some really poor decisions with the ball. Eventually, Clemson benched Uiagalelei for heralded freshman Cade Klubnik. The top-rated quarterback in the 2022 recruiting class and a five-star talent, Klubnik attempted a mere four passes (two completions for 19 yards), but he also rushed for 15 yards, drew a critical personal foul flag on Syracuse and helped settle Clemson’s offense.
As a result, the Tigers scored 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to escape with a 27-21 win.
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Dabo Swinney sticking with DJ Uiagalelei is the right call for Clemson — for now
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said afterwards that Uiagalelei is still Clemson’s starter, indicating the Tigers’ move was not a permanent one. However, this is obviously a situation to monitor, both for this college football season and Uiagalelei’s NFL hopes. On the latter, Uiagalelei doesn’t have to turn pro after this season, but he also has time to finish strong in 2022. How much will Klubnik’s presence ultimately influence Uiagalelei’s stay-or-go decision?
As for some of Clemson’s other draft hopefuls, all the heavy hitters got into the action defensively: KJ Henry, Tyler Davis, Trenton Simpson, Myles Murphy and Bryan Bresee all had at least half a sack in a grind of a win.
(Photo: Joseph Maiorana / USA Today)
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