Spring Forecasting: Who Will Start For Ohio State Against Akron?

When Ohio State opens its season against Akron on September 3rd, Terrelle Pryor will not be on the field for the first time in his entire collegiate career. In his place, at least one of four players will be taking snaps at quarterback, leaving Ohio State with both a first time signal-caller and a first time head coach after Jim Tressel's suspension. It's less than ideal, to say the least, but it does spice up the spring practice session considerably.

Redshirt senior Joe Bauserman, a safety net at backup quarterback for Ohio State the past two seasons, had the lead coming into spring practice on experience alone, but now that the team has had its fifteen practice sessions it appears he may be slipping. By all accounts, true freshman Braxton Miller has been the most talented player, but his inexperience may prohibit him from starting those first five games. Redshirt sophomore Kenny Guiton is in an odd position-- more talented than Bauserman, less so than Miller; less experienced than Bauserman, more so than Miller. Essentially, he is the compromise candidate.

Redshirt freshman Taylor Graham is largely unknown. He has not taken a single snap in a college football game and is the most immobile of the four candidates. To his credit, he was heavily recruited by quarterback gurus Bobby Petrino and Norm Chow, and is the son of former Ohio State quarterback Kent Graham. This will be his first Spring Game and also the first chance for the fanbase to gauge his ability.

All of the quarterbacks have had issues this spring, and last weekend's scrimmage was especially depressing. Bob Hunter of the Columbus Dispatch provides the gloomy figures.

The four quarterbacks competing to replace Pryor while he is suspended went seven series before they completed a pass. The offense didn't score a touchdown. The defense looked like it might just be the best unit in the history of the world, which would be good if it weren't replacing seven starters. All of which suggests that although the defense might have enough depth to replace the missing, the offense has some serious work ahead.

Our analysis of Ohio State's returning receiving yards agrees with Hunter's concern over the 2011 season, but there is room for hope. Spring scrimmages are almost always weighed in the defense's favor, as the defensive players know the schemes as well as the offense and benefit from the limitations a practice setting places on offensive play-calling. When the defense knows the offense is working on its short-passing game, it can gain from that foresight.

With the quarterback position still undecided, we're going to engage in a little measurement of the fanbase's perception by taking a poll before and after the Spring Game this Saturday. Who, dear reader, will start at quarterback for Ohio State against Akron on September 3rd?