Ohio State Football: Who Will Start at Quarterback to Begin the 2011 Season?
On the heels of a new twist in Tattoogate involving Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, the one question on the field that remains an issue is the starting QB job.
Terrelle Pryor is suspended for the first five games of the season pending appeal, leaving the job wide open for multiple candidates to fill.
There are still six months until the Buckeyes start the 2011 season without Pryor and Tressel, opening against Akron on September 3.
Here is a look at the major candidates competing for the starting job.
1. Joe Bauserman
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For most of his career, this has been what Buckeye fans have seen Joe Bauserman do: hand the football off to the running backs to run the clock out.
A former minor-league baseball player, Bauserman is more of a pocket passer QB with average athleticism, but enough to extend the play from time to time.
In spot duty in 2010, the player some OSU fans call Joey Baseball was 16-of-22 for 174 yards and two TDs with one INT.
But while Bauserman has never inspired confidence in any fans and doesn't appear to have the "it" factor, he hasn't gotten too many reps in practice with the first team either.
He may end up being the safe choice, but probably the unpopular one as well.
2. Kenny Guiton
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Most Buckeye fans felt that the scholarship offering and subsequent commitment of Houston QB Kenny Guiton was more of a third option in the recruiting plans—until he showed some good promise in the spring game last year.
Guiton is more of a dual-threat QB with the ability to run and pass, though he only saw action in one game last season, getting a rushing TD against Eastern Michigan.
He has only thrown two passes in his career, one each to his own team and the other team.
After redshirting in 2009 and seeing some time in 2010, Guiton's skill set can translate well to Tressel's offense, which is run most effectively by a dual-threat passer.
The question mark is whether or not he is seasoned enough and has enough coaching to be able to get the job done. Only time and practice can tell.
3. Taylor Graham
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Of all the candidates for the position, Taylor Graham may be the biggest unknown of them all.
Injured through a portion of the end of his high school career, Graham redshirted in 2010 with three more experienced QBs in front of him.
Graham is the typical pocket passer QB with a good arm and decent accuracy, which may earn him some playing time down the road.
He also has a great frame for a pocket passer at 6'4", 225 lbs., which could help with his durability over time.
According to assorted reports, Graham was very good in bowl practices and could be a sleeper heading into spring practice this year.
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4. Braxton Miller
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Of all of the candidates, Braxton Miller all of a sudden might become the favorite to get the starting job.
After coming straight out of high school starting for four seasons, Miller came to Ohio State in January and has already started to work out with the training staff and team.
His biggest question marks are accuracy and durability, but there is no question he has top-flight talent.
Miller is like a hybrid of Troy Smith and Terrelle Pryor, with Smith's elusiveness on the run and Pryor's pure arm strength.
The biggest worry for Braxton right now is that he is the newest of anyone to the college game and still has to grow into his frame.
But getting an extra 15 practices to start his college career can only help his case.
Who Will Be the Guy?
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The season is still six months away, and the spring will tell us a lot about this derby for the starting QB job.
Right now, though, the favorites have to be Bauserman and Miller.
Bauserman has experience on his size, but Miller may be the most purely talented player of the bunch.
In the end, like in 2008, when Tressel benched senior Todd Boeckman for Pryor, it may be a case of the player most capable of making enough good plays to win games.
He may need to have a very good spring to give himself an edge, but the guy to watch as the potential starter is Braxton Miller.
However, remember that Pryor will be back after five games, which means that OSU will try to run the football much more often.
This means that whoever will be the QB in those five games will be asked to carry a limited load and make the most of it, something that could benefit Miller, who is the future of the Buckeyes at QB.
For more news and updates in college football, follow me on Twitter @bielik_tim and visit The BCS Blitz.
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