Boeckman Quietly Solid
October 17 2007 09:45 PM -- Filed in: Football
| Quarterbacks
Troy Smith championed an OSU era of nearly
unparalleled success at the quarterback position. The
once dodgy and erratic passer blossomed into a
complete player, one who would win the Heisman and
ride off with the all-time highest passing efficiency
rating in Big Ten history. To say his departure left
an unsettling void would be an understatement, and
certainly the replacement couldn't begin to approach
the numbers and level of play Smith displayed.
Or so most thought.
Todd Boeckman has taken over
the reigns and offers a style of play that's
almost completely different than Smith. He's
bigger, much taller and a classic pocket passer
who patiently waited through greyshirt and
redshirt years. He was a player who'd attempted
only a handful of passes and was more known for
his age than his ability. But, that has quickly
changed through the first seven games of the
year. He's suddenly become a player who is so
vital to our success, I quiver with the thought
of having to win games with one of the backups.
To be perfectly clear, Boeckman really hasn't played at the level of Smith and that surprises no one. However, he has surpassed the expectations of most and the numbers so far, as shown in the graphic, are quite impressive. I went back and compiled Smith's data through the first seven games last year to get a comparison of the job Todd's doing. Sure, the level of competition should be rightfully noted (Smith had played 3 ranked teams, two on the road) but for a quarterback with precious little opportunity before being thrust into the spotlight, Boeckman has played outstandingly well.
Clearly the biggest difference between Smith and Boeckman isn't reflected in the graphic. Troy's running ability was the wildcard that froze defenses and occupied the mind of opposing coordinators. But, Todd's passing numbers are worthy of highlight, starting with his pass efficiency stat which leads the Big Ten by nearly 20 points and isn't too dissimilar to Smith. Boeckman also sports a nifty 16-6 TD/INT ratio and when you remove the 3 virtual punts at Purdue, it's even better. But, without question the best number of the group has to be his completion percentage. Todd doesn't have Troy's luxury of throwing to a mature receiving group that included two first rounders and a fifth round selection. So, with basically all new receivers, Boeckman has still put up numbers which are near the top of the league.
None of this is to say, Todd doesn't have improvement to make. We've seen his propensity to under throw the deep ball and it bothers us despite Tressel ordering the tactic. We also have yet to see him 'win' a game for us when it's on the line, but I can do without this scenario as long as we're winning big. Beyond that, we should be thrilled with the quietly successful season we're getting and the numbers bear it out. There will be a natural dip as the competition ratchets upward but sustaining some semblance of this start will be crucial to our end of year success.
Or so most thought.
To be perfectly clear, Boeckman really hasn't played at the level of Smith and that surprises no one. However, he has surpassed the expectations of most and the numbers so far, as shown in the graphic, are quite impressive. I went back and compiled Smith's data through the first seven games last year to get a comparison of the job Todd's doing. Sure, the level of competition should be rightfully noted (Smith had played 3 ranked teams, two on the road) but for a quarterback with precious little opportunity before being thrust into the spotlight, Boeckman has played outstandingly well.
Clearly the biggest difference between Smith and Boeckman isn't reflected in the graphic. Troy's running ability was the wildcard that froze defenses and occupied the mind of opposing coordinators. But, Todd's passing numbers are worthy of highlight, starting with his pass efficiency stat which leads the Big Ten by nearly 20 points and isn't too dissimilar to Smith. Boeckman also sports a nifty 16-6 TD/INT ratio and when you remove the 3 virtual punts at Purdue, it's even better. But, without question the best number of the group has to be his completion percentage. Todd doesn't have Troy's luxury of throwing to a mature receiving group that included two first rounders and a fifth round selection. So, with basically all new receivers, Boeckman has still put up numbers which are near the top of the league.
None of this is to say, Todd doesn't have improvement to make. We've seen his propensity to under throw the deep ball and it bothers us despite Tressel ordering the tactic. We also have yet to see him 'win' a game for us when it's on the line, but I can do without this scenario as long as we're winning big. Beyond that, we should be thrilled with the quietly successful season we're getting and the numbers bear it out. There will be a natural dip as the competition ratchets upward but sustaining some semblance of this start will be crucial to our end of year success.
