There’s no need for Ohio State fans to panic about QB C.J. Stroud after just one game

Some Ohio State fans wanted C.J. Stroud benched vs. Minnesota. That’s a little hasty.

No. 4 Ohio State walked away from its season opener against Minnesota with a 45-31 win in a game that felt a bit closer than the final score. But some Buckeyes fans were ready to give up on quarterback C.J. Stroud by the end of the first half when Ohio State trailed, 14-10.

Because for the first time in what feels like forever, the Buckeyes don’t have a consistent, reliable and seasoned starting quarterback — yet. But there’s no reason for fans to panic about that — yet.

Stroud is not Justin Fields. He’s not Dwayne Haskins or J.T. Barrett or any other dominant Buckeye passer of recent memory, and that’s OK.

He is a 19-year-old redshirt freshman who made his first start Thursday night for a College Football Playoff-regular team on the road in front of a rowdy Gophers crowd against a Big Ten opponent that clearly came ready to play.

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The expectations for Ohio State and Stroud are enormous, but let’s cut this teenage quarterback a break after just one game. His college experience before this was, as a true freshman last season, playing in one game and not attempting a pass but still putting up a 48-yard run against Michigan State.

Initially against Minnesota, Stroud looked a little nervous and understandably so, given all the aforementioned factors at play. And it showed, particularly in the first half when he threw his first interception of the season and went 8-for-14 for 58 yards. Not a great opening half, and it was made worse when the Gophers ultimately scored off of Stroud’s interception to take the lead.

“I talked to him before we went into this game that no matter what happens, we’re just gonna keep pushing and keep throwing it,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day told FOX Sports after the game. “And he missed a couple early on, but we just kept working through that. And when you’re a freshman quarterback — you’ve never thrown a college pass before — you have to get into a rhythm. He did, and I thought the older guys really helped him out in the offense — the offensive line, obviously, the guys on the perimeter.”

Stroud appeared to settle down a bit in the second half and get more comfortable with Ohio State’s powerhouse receivers while still relying on the talented run game. The freshman passer finished his first career start going 13-for-22 for 294 yards, four touchdowns and one pick.

Which brings us to the next reason Ohio State fans shouldn’t panic just yet. Stroud’s youth, nerves and first-game pressure aside, he’s got some solid receivers to work with, particularly senior Chris Olave, who’s one of the best in the country and reminded the college football world of that against Minnesota.

Olave is fast and tough to beat, and he was able to get open against the Gophers with relative ease while getting in the end zone twice off passes from Stroud. He finished with four catches for 117 yards, including this 61-yard touchdown.

Plus, the Buckeyes also have junior wide receiver Garrett Wilson and freshman running back TreVeyon Henderson, who both scored huge 50-plus-yard touchdowns off Stroud’s passes in the second half.

And then there’s Ohio State’s strong group of running backs, like Henderson, junior Master Teague III and freshman Miyan Williams, who led the run game with 125 yards and a touchdown.

So again, all this is to say there’s no need for Ohio State fans to panic about Stroud or the season yet after just one game. He’s a teenage freshman quarterback whose first start was far from a cupcake game on national TV.

He and the Buckeyes will get another dose of that against No. 11 Oregon next weekend, but at least that game will be in front of friendly home crowd in Columbus.

If Stroud struggles through September games against the Ducks, Tulsa and Akron, then maybe fans can start worrying a bit as the Buckeyes get back to Big Ten play. But with so much talent around him, it seems likely that he, Day and the whole offense can find a way to make it work.

As my colleague Evan Thorpe said, “He has too many weapons to fail.”

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