Ohio State Quarterback Joe Bauserman Proves He Can Lead the Buckeye Offense

Though Braxton Miller may become a household name this season, Ohio State veteran quarterback Joe Bauserman isn’t ready to throw in the towel.

Bauserman, a fifth-year senior, played backup quarterback to Terrelle Pryor in 2010.

He saw little action last season, but gained impressive strides. Last year, he was 16-for-22 and had a 73 percent completion percentage. His quarterback rating nearly doubled from the year before.

Since spring, Bauserman has been taking the majority of the snaps at practice for the Buckeyes offense. He now looks calm and collected, thoughtful and pensive. During the jersey scrimmage last weekend, Bauserman threw for 120 yards, including a 58-yard touchdown to wide receiver Chris Fields. He had just one interception.

“The first thing that comes to my mind is the pick,” he said when asked about his performance at the jersey scrimmage. “But before that, I felt like I had a decent day and did a few good things. You can’t worry yourself with what everyone else is doing.”

Though most people criticized him last year for his lack of consistency and inability to electrify the crowd, star wide receiver Devier Posey has been impressed with Bauserman’s recent performance.

“Joe is a veteran guy. I call him the old man. He’s definitely been acting that way. He’s been doing really good,” Posey said during Sunday’s media day.

According to the Ozone, Posey emphasized the importance of a quarterback having chemistry with his wide receivers.

“Joe’s really set himself apart with his timing and his throws. Guys like him, Philly [Brown], Verlon [Reed] and Fields, Jake Stoneburner and Jeff Heuerman have been getting on page and getting their timing together.”

Many Buckeye fans and experts believe that Bauserman will soon be announced as the Buckeyes' starting quarterback against Akron on September 3.

Coach Fickell certainly believes that the quarterback race isn’t over yet, and both Bauserman and Miller will have to prove their worth as the offensive leader.

“I think we’re going to have a competition for a long time,” he said on Sunday. “Everybody did some good things. We’ve got to test them in front of 106,000. We won’t know until you get them on the field and see what they can do.

“Whether it’s a 25-, 26-year-old guy out there or an 18-year-old guy out there, we’ve got to do what’s best for the team.”

Bauserman echoed Coach Fickell’s words.

“We try not to worry about which [quarterback] is better," he said. "It’s about being consistent, being the best quarterback for the team.”