Ohio State QB CJ Stroud reflects on OSU vs. Michigan game
NEW YORK — In the week after Ohio State’s crushing loss to Michigan, another gut punch delivered by its archrival that put its postseason fate in limbo, C.J. Stroud holed up in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
The team’s facility afforded him a familiar place, a setting where he could block out noise from the detractors who spawn overnight in Columbus in the aftermath of any defeat by the Buckeyes, especially one in The Game.
“We call it Ohio against the world, or the ‘Woody’ against the world,” Stroud said. “We know what we have in our building. We don’t have to overcomplicate anything. We just have to go out there and play better.”
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The Buckeyes held a series of practices over those days as they prepared for the possibility of making the College Football Playoff. Stroud convened with teammates to lift weights and run additional passing drills.
“I was working out every day,” he said, “throwing with my receivers, getting right. We didn’t really take a break.”
It kept their attention on their playoff prospects rather than dwelling on a second straight rivalry loss. The upset marked the first time in a generation the Buckeyes had lost consecutive games to Michigan, unleashing a wave of anger and frustration among fans grown unaccustomed to such setbacks.
“I don’t want to go into full detail, but it was rough,” Stroud said. “As a player, I don’t want to lose, and then you have the whole world talking about how bad you are. It’s OK. It comes with the territory.”
When Southern California stumbled in the Pac-12 championship game, a defeat that put the Buckeyes in a position to crack the playoff field as the fourth seed, they were reinvigorated.
Their loss to Michigan, while blemishing their unbeaten record, was no longer a death knell for the season. Some of their biggest goals remained ever clear on the horizon.
Stroud felt excitement when he saw Ohio State’s logo flash across the screen during the televised rankings reveal.
“I’ve said it before, but God doesn’t do things by mistake,” Stroud said. “Everything happens for a reason, so I think this happened for a reason, something that we learn from and grow from. I was super excited when I found out the news. I never put my head down after the loss, anyway. I tried to keep my chin up, keep my chest out and take the L to the chin.”
The opportunity in the playoff, beginning with a semifinal against top-seeded Georgia on Dec. 31, is as significant for Stroud as any of the Buckeyes. Had Ohio State been relegated to another New Year’s Six bowl, it was uncertain if Stroud would have appeared in the game.
As the regular season ended, Stroud was noncommittal about playing in a non-CFP bowl game. He said he would need a few weeks to decide.
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An increasing number of high-level NFL prospects in recent years have been opting out of bowls, and Stroud, who is eligible to turn pro after three seasons at Ohio State, is expected to be taken near the top of the draft next spring.
The spot in the playoff, though, leaves Stroud with an opportunity to further his legacy over the next month.
A two-time Big Ten offensive player of the year, he is near the top of the school’s record books, having thrown for 7,775 yards and 81 touchdowns over his two seasons, statistics that trail only former quarterback J.T. Barrett.
Postseason success would add to those individual accomplishments.
“It’s a good opportunity to do some special things,” Stroud said, “and hopefully God blesses me to do those things.”