Stroud's Amazing Season Captured Buckeye Hearts Despite Falling Short of Heisman Honors

While it's disappointing that C.J. Stroud didn't win the Heisman Trophy this year, his incredible redshirt freshman season gives Ohio State hope for a bright future.

Author:
Brendan Gulick
Dec 11, 2021 9:12 PM EST

As I think back to the beginning of the season and the different things that Ohio State fans were thinking and feeling, there weren't too many question marks for a team that had made it all the way to the College Football Playoff National Championship game. With a ton of returning talent, there was all the reason in the world to believe that the Buckeyes had potential to be back in that conversation again in 2021.

It felt like all of the eyes around the sport were focused on one thing: who would replace All-American quarterback Justin Fields? Whomever would be named the starter would not have thrown a pass before in a college football game and the expectations that come with being Ohio State's quarterback are always high.

Tonight's results shouldn't dampen the fact that the Buckeyes have their unquestioned leader and should be serious contenders next year for a national title.

When Ryan Day named C.J. Stroud the team's starting quarterback on August 21st, Buckeye Nation and college football fans around the country had their answer ... but they still wanted to see if Fields' replacement could live up to the billing.

He absolutely did.

But the journey wasn't easy. Looking back on it, it has been fun to follow and there is so much optimism going forward.

Ohio State opened with a tough win over Minnesota before dropping a frustrating game against Oregon. The offense posted nearly 600 yards and moved the ball at will, but the defense couldn't slow down the Ducks and the season's championship hopes were in real jeopardy.

Then after Stroud and the offense put together an above average (but not elite) performance against Tulsa, some began to wonder if Stroud was the best answer to lead the Buckeyes. The reality is, he entered the season as THE question mark on an offense that was replacing its best player and despite a 2-1 start, the (perhaps unrealistic) expectations proved to be heavy.

Stroud sat out during the team's demolition of the Akron Zips and rested an ailing shoulder. When he returned the following week, well, he looked like a different player. His rested arm had fire, life and accuracy that occasionally evaded him during the first few weeks.

As the season played out, Stroud routinely confused opposing defenses and looked like the best player in America. He ripped off 30 touchdown passes, just two interceptions and threw for more than 2,900 yards over the final eight games of the regular season. He'll be on the field in the Rose Bowl in his native California in a couple weeks when the Buckeyes take on Utah on New Year's Day.

Let's not ignore the reality here - It's been a tough couple weeks to be an Ohio State fan after a miserable defeat in Ann Arbor on November 27. And while that outcome will cut deep for Buckeye Nation for a long time to come, C.J. Stroud's gone from being a young kid that was focused more on basketball as a high school player to an unquestioned Heisman Trophy-caliber player and leader. The Buckeyes are fortunate to have him and the future is awfully bright with him guiding the Scarlet and Gray.

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