So far, Jim Tressel says no one has taken the lead in the four-way quarterback battle to replace the suspended Terrelle Pryor.
View full sizeClose scrutiny hasn't gotten Jim Tressel any closer to figuring out who the starting quarterback will be when the 2011 season opens this fall.COLUMBUS, Ohio -- More than halfway through spring practice, the Ohio State Buckeyes are no closer to finding a starting quarterback for the first five games of the 2011 season than they were at the start of practice.
That's probably good news for every OSU quarterback other than Joe Bauserman.
"I kind of vacillate every day," coach Jim Tressel said Wednesday on a Big Ten conference call, speaking to a group of reporters for the first time since spring practice started. "I wish it was definitive. I wish someone was just head and shoulders about another, but at this point, I don't see that."
A 25-year-old fifth-year senior and former minor-league baseball player, Bauserman is probably the only quarterback who this early could have ended the competition to replace Terrelle Pryor. When the Buckeyes were looking to replace Troy Smith in the spring of 2007, Todd Boeckman, the most experienced candidate, entered the spring No. 1 on the depth chart. By the end of April, the coaches weren't afraid to say Boeckman remained in the top spot, though reps continued to be shared among the three candidates for the job.
Tressel didn't go that route Wednesday, didn't say Bauserman was still in the lead. Watching the reps, Bauserman still takes the majority with the first team, but he apparently hasn't come close to nailing anything down.
"I think Joe's just trying to get the spot, just like everybody else," right tackle J.B. Shugarts said. "He's not saying 'it's my job for the taking.' He knows he has to work as hard as everybody else. He's a veteran guy, so these guys are trying to take his spot, but he's still helping them one on one. I think Joe is a great dude, a great person and a great leader."
Shugarts compared Bauserman to former Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel, emphasizing Bauserman's ability to escape trouble and keep plays alive with his legs. Redshirt sophomore Kenny Guiton and true freshman Braxton Miller have that scrambling ability, too, while redshirt freshman Taylor Graham is more of a pocket passer.
Speaking early Wednesday afternoon, Tressel said the quarterback who had the best practice Tuesday was Guiton.
"We don't have a game tomorrow, so we don't have to make that decision," Tressel said. "What you're trying to develop is that consistency over time."
If Tressel changes his mind nearly every day about which quarterback is practicing best, consistency must not be there. Realistically, the job probably wasn't going to be won this spring. Offensive coordinator Jim Bollman has said he wouldn't be surprised if the competition continues through the start of the regular season.
But the order does matter. Right now, Pryor is sidelined, only doing some light throwing while recovering from foot surgery soon after the Sugar Bowl. Tressel said Wednesday he hopes Pryor can start running around on May 1, but for now he's not stealing any reps.
Even though he won't play for the first five games, Pryor will be taking practice reps in the fall. So you don't want to wind up as quarterback No. 5 when preseason camp starts in early August. That would be a lot to overcome.
"I think it is critical by the end of 15 practices that we do start thinking about some kind of pecking order," Tressel said. "I hope you couldn't lose the quarterback job in the spring, but maybe you could, if you looked at the whole body of work and it just wasn't what we needed it to be."
Newsome limited: Jon Newsome, who figured to be in the mix to start at strongside linebacker, hasn't participated in much of the practice time that reporters have been able to watch. Tressel confirmed Newsome's reps have been limited. It's not because he's injured, but because he's in Tressel's doghouse.
"I've been known to have a doghouse, and Jonathan is in and out of it simply because we're not 100 percent sure he's been doing everything he needs to do to the best of his abilities," Tressel said. "I don't expect him to be in it long, but sometimes we have do what we think will help a young person learn."
Source: http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2011/04/spring_is_a_season_of_indecisi.html
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