Ohio State Football: An epic QB battle in Happy Valley?
When the Ohio State football team takes the field in Beaver stadium the offense will be led by an elite quarterback. The same can be said for Penn State.
However you rank the top quarterbacks in college football, Dwayne Haskins and Trace McSorley will be on the list. There is no question they are two of the best quarterbacks in college football.
With the talent each of them brings to the table, and the fact each has performed well in big games, this has a potential to be an epic quarterback battle.
Let’s first take a look at the veteran McSorley.
He has 37 games under his belt and has thrown for 8,133 yards and 67 touchdowns in his career. He has also rushed for 1,134 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Among his many highlights was leading the Nittany Lions to a win over the Buckeyes two years ago and a win over Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game at the end of the season. The guy is a gamer.
This year’s stats: 764 yards passing and 8 touchdowns, 236 yards and another 6 scores rushing.
Strengths: McSorley’s stats don’t tell the whole story. There may not be another quarterback in the country who can turn a broken play into a positive one better than he can. McSorley can use his legs to extend a play to find an open receiver or tuck the ball and run for a big gain.
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Also, an opposing team doesn’t want him to have the ball in his hands late in the fourth quarter with the game on the line. He usually performs well in crunch time.
Dwayne Haskins’ resume isn’t as extensive as McSorley’s but is quite impressive. He has taken the college football world by storm with his performance so far this season.
In his first four games as a starter, Haskins has completed 75.7 percent of his passes for 1,194 yards and 16 touchdowns. And that is in about 11 quarters of play as he sat out the second half in two games and about a quarter in another.
Like McSorley, big games don’t seem to faze Haskins. When he came in for the injured J.T. Barrett in Ann Arbor last season he brought the Buckeyes back to a win. He also led Ohio State to a victory over TCU the third game of the season in Dallas.
dark. Next. Predictions for week 5 game vs. Penn State
It will be an interesting match-up between these two talented quarterbacks tonight. With two outstanding teams colliding, the game may be decided by whether McSorley or Haskins has the hot hand. Or, which one of them has the ball in their hands at the end of the game.