Not to give too much away in the first paragraph -- editors hate that -- but the selections here for Ohio State’s 5 Best Quarterbacks in History all played in the 21st century.
The tricky part wasn’t picking them, though Art Schlichter and Bobby Hoying earned strong consideration. The tricky part was putting them in order, especially the middle three on the list.
It’s a combination of national-title winners, some Heisman love and some absolutely bonkers statistics. The Buckeyes have been especially fortunate over the last 25 years at the position, capturing three titles this century. Only Alabama has won more.
We’d put this list up there with the Crimson Tide’s.
Honorable Mentions
- Art Schlichter (1978-1981)
- Bobby Hoying (1992-1995)
- Terrelle Pryor (2008-2010)
- Braxton Miller (2011-2015)
- Dwayne Haskins (2017-2018)
5. Craig Krenzel (1999-2003)
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If this list were based off sheer statistical totals, Krenzel wouldn’t find himself here. He might not even find himself in the top 10. The phrase game manager - with all its connotations, positive and negative - don’t apply either, though if you watched Krenzel in the early 2000s, you might use that phrase.
The reality is Krenzel was a leader and a winner. The MVP of Ohio State’s 2002 national championship Fiesta Bowl, the OSU signal-caller led the Buckeyes to their first title in 32 years, snapping the longest drought in school history.
4. CJ Stroud (2020-2022)
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Stroud owns two of the top four single-season passing marks in school history and two of the top three single-game passing marks, too. The man could absolutely sling the football.
Over the course of three (really, just two, considering he only saw eight snaps as a freshman) seasons, Stroud threw for 8,123 yards with 85 touchdowns.
He was Big Ten Freshman of the Year after his redshirt season and earned finalist spots for both the Davey O’Brien Award and the Heisman Trophy after just one season. As a sophomore, he led FBS in quarterback rating and finished third in Heisman voting.
3. J.T. Barrett (2013-2017)
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No quarterback in Ohio State history has thrown for more than Barrett’s 9,434 yards. No quarterback in Ohio State history has thrown for more than Barrett’s 104 touchdowns.
Throw in a ninth-place ranking in Buckeyes history when it comes to yards rushing (and not just yards rushing by a quarterback, mind you), and it’d be easy to make the case Barrett deserves a higher slotting than this, even.
He was a starter from, pretty much, Day 1, even helping lead the Buckeyes to the national championship as a freshman when he started 12 games. But a broken ankle made him miss the postseason, though OSU captured the title behind third-team quarterback Cardale Jones, anyway.
And while he and Jones split time the next year, Barrett re-earned the top spot as a junior and senior. He led the team to a combined 23-4 record in those final two seasons.
2. Justin Fields (2019-2020)
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Fields played only two seasons at Ohio State after transferring from Georgia and then leaving a year before his eligibility exhausted for the NFL Draft. They were an insane two seasons.
Fields arrived from Athens ahead of the 2019 season and immediately put his stamp on the Buckeyes as his team. He earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors in that season and the next after throwing for a combined 5,373 yards and 63 touchdowns.
His 41 touchdowns, against just three interceptions, in 2019 earned him third in Heisman Trophy voting that season as he led Ohio State to the College Football Playoff.
The next year, he went one further, taking OSU to the national championship game. And while the Buckeyes didn’t capture the title in either of Fields’ seasons, his mark remains.
1. Troy Smith (2002-2006)
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Even if you didn’t want to count anything else, Smith would crack this list simply by virtue of being the first starting quarterback in Ohio State history to win three straight games against arch-rival Michigan.
But, really, he set the standard for what was to come in the next two decades at quarterback for the Buckeyes, showcasing a penchant for running alongside his throwing. Smith earned unanimous All-American honors, the Davey O’Brien Award, and the Heisman Trophy in 2006 in leading Ohio State to the national championship game.
While he’s been leapfrogged on the statistical leaderboards as the years have passed, his place in the hearts of OSU fans will never disappear.
More Ohio State Football Rankings
- 10 Greatest Ohio State Football Players Ever
- 5 Greatest Ohio State Running Backs of All Time
- 5 Greatest Ohio State Defensive Players of All Time
