Ohio State Football: C.J. Stroud did not lose the Oregon game

Stroud does have some areas that he needs to continue working on that could have made a difference in the game against Oregon.

Two areas that Stroud needs to improve on are not missing high and understanding the game situation.

The first is fairly obvious as it contributed to both plays he is getting blamed for. When Stroud misses, the throws tend to go over the head of the receiver which is dangerous since that is typically where the defense is. As he continues developing I think we will see less of this. Oregon already showed an improvement since the Minnesota game in this regard.

The area that Stroud really struggled was understanding what he needed to do each play. Towards the end, the Buckeyes found themselves behind the chains, knowing they needed at least one score to tie the game. On third downs, rather than knowing it was a four-down situation and just trying to get half the yards, he would go for the first down in one play.

What I would like to see from Stroud is not trying to force the big play, but understanding what each situation needs. Get the first down and not try to force a touchdown. Pick up half the yards here so third down is manageable. Throw the ball away if you aren’t happy with any of the options. Different things like that.

Ultimately, Stroud was not the biggest issue against Oregon. Ohio State has plenty of other problems, but their starting quarterback ain’t one of them.