Ohio State football: Winners, losers from OSU vs. Oregon

The young quarterback was not the issue for Ohio State.

Was C.J. Stroud perfect? No. But he was not the issue throughout this game. Many will point to the interception he had that sealed the deal late as a worrying sign of things to come. While it was an overthrown ball, he had an open man that he just missed.

He needed to get more than the few years he could have gained on the run to give his team a chance, so the throw was not an issue. Yes, he missed his target, but he did his job for a large portion of the game to give his team a chance.

Stroud ended up throwing for close to 500 yards and three touchdowns in the biggest game of his career. Stroud was able to make some really good throws and looked solid throughout the game. It is easy to point to two or three moments and say he was a failure against Oregon, but to me, he showed great improvement from one game to another and did his job throughout the game.

He was able to add a few moments where he rushed for huge first downs (one counted, one was called back for holding) which was an additional element he needed to incorporate into his game. Sure there are plays he wishes he could have back, but two bad throws do not diminish the game he had.