Former Ohio State football player C.J. Stroud had a very up-and-down career as a Buckeye. He set some records and won a lot of games but never was able to win a conference title. More than that, he never beat Jim Harbaugh and Michigan while he was with the Buckeyes.
Stroud was 0-2 as a starter against TTUN. He also did not win when he was on the roster in general. It seemed like he was destined to never beat Jim Harbaugh. Stroud was drafted second overall by the Houston Texans in the 2023 NFL Draft. Harbaugh left for the NFL following last season.
As fate would have it, the two met in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs. The Texans took on Harbaugh's Chargers in Houston. Despite the Texans not having played well for the last half of the season, they were able to beat Harbaugh and the Chargers 32-12.
Former Ohio State football player C.J. Stroud takes Jim Harbaugh out of the playoffs
Stroud was pretty solid in this game, using both is arm and his legs to get the win. He was 22/33 for 282 yards and a touchdown to go along with a pick. On the ground, he ran the ball six times for 42 yards, including a 27-yard scamper down the middle of the defense.
Stroud not only took down Harbaugh but also Jesse Minter. Minter is the defense coordinator for Los Angeles after he was brought along from Michigan by Harbaugh. Meanwhile, Harbaugh's team only managed a single touchdown in this game. It was a really nice win for Stroud.
Now the Texans will wait to see who their next opponent is. For Stroud, it was a confidence booster to get this win in the playoffs after having a pretty poor sophomore season. He's hoping to get more wins in the playoffs, too.