Ohio State Scouting Report Tuesday: Comparing Buckeyes’ quarterback C.J. Stroud to Justin Fields

ATLANTA — Ohio State had a different look the last time it was in the College Football Playoffs, and reflecting back, what a star-studded cast it really was!

This year’s Buckeyes’ team wouldn’t seem to boast the same offensive star power as the 2020 group, but then, who does?

Fortunately for the No. 1-ranked Georgia Bulldogs, the Ohio State offense they will be facing at 8 p.m. on Saturday in the CFP Peach Bowl Semifinal isn’t as proven and doesn’t seem as dynamic.

Ohio State Scouting Report, Part One: What Buckeyes must do to beat Georgia

Ohio State scouting report, Part Two: OSU arrives with ‘second chance at life’

These Buckeyes are very good, to be clear, but Justin Fields overshadows C.J. Stroud, and the 2020 Ohio State receiving corps can be found in Fantasy Football lineups on NFL Sundays:

• Chris Olave

• Garrett Wilson

• Jameson Williams

That was an Ohio State team that blasted No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence and Clemson by a 49-28 count en route to reaching the CFP Championship game.

This Buckeyes team is missing two of its top offensive threats, as running back TreVeyon Henderson and receiver Jaxson Smith-Njigba have opted out with injuries.

Miyan Williams, a former 3-star recruit who averages 6.5 yards per carry, will lead the ground game.

Marvin Harrison Jr. (72 catches, 1,157 yards, 12 TDs) is the top pass-catching target, and Emeka Egbuka is second on the team with 66 catches for 1,039 yards and 9 touchdowns.

Egbuka was a 5-star recruit and the No. 1-ranked receiver in the 2021 signing class.

The Buckeyes’ stars, however, share the same problem as Stroud in that they haven’t won anything the past two seasons.

Both years, Michigan beat Ohio State, and this group has not won a playoff game or done anything to establish a legacy on par with past Buckeyes’ teams.

Stroud, who was a 4-star prospect and the No. 2-rated Pro-Style QB in the 2020 class (Georgia was his No. 2 choice), said he’s not putting any added pressure on himself.

But Stroud is playing with an edge.

“I was born with a chip on my shoulder, I was made that way, I don’t think I’ll ever lose it,” Stroud said. “(But) when you are on the field it doesn’t matter. You have a job to do.”

A look at the two quarterbacks’ seasons:

2019-20 Fields (13-1): 238-354, .672, 3,273 yards, 41 TDs, 3 Ints; 137 rushes, 484 yards, 10 TDs

2020-21 Fields (7-1): 158-225, .702, 2,100 yards, 22 TDs, 6 Ints; 81 rushes, 383 yards, 5 TDs

2021-22 Stroud (11-2): 317-441, .719, 4,435 yards, 44 TDs, 6 Ints, 32 rushes, -20 yards, 0 TDs

2022-23 Stroud (11-1): 235-355, .662, 3,340, 37 TDs, 7 Ints, 35 rushes, 74 yards, 0 TDs

Cleveland.com Ohio State beat writer Nathan Baird took time to compare Stroud with Fields in our 5-question Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl scouting report series.

Question: How does C.J. Stroud compare to Justin Fields with his feet, arm talent, field vision and ability to change plays at the line?

NATHAN BAIRD: They are almost incomparable. Fields, while he did not run excessively at OSU – and not nearly as much as he needs to with the Bears – had dual-threat ability.

Ohio State simply wanted him to use that talent as a last resort, or complementary skill. He used his mobility to keep plays alive in the pocket and take shots downfield.

Stroud, on the other hand, almost never uses his legs to gain yardage. He has gotten more comfortable over time at moving out of the pocket and throwing on the run.

His greatest asset, though, is his brain and ability to process. That’s not to say he does not have genuine arm strength. But that works in conjunction with his pre-snap ability to read defenses and make adjustments.

While bringing pressure against a less mobile quarterback might make sense by conventional wisdom, if often plays into Stroud’s advantage, because he’ll take the trade-off of the hurried throw against the numbers advantage he now has downfield.