Can Ohio State football capitalize on the Justin Fields window of opportunity?

Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields throws a pass during the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl against the Clemson Tigers at State Farm Stadium on December 28, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona.

Justin Fields was good enough in his first season in Columbus to help the Buckeyes reach the national semifinals, against Clemson on Dec. 28. Getty Images

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- That quaint era when college football teams did not need a quarterback like Justin Fields to win a national championship does not seem so distant.

Nebraska was still rolling over teams with the option in the mid-90s. The Buckeyes won the 2002 national championship behind Craig Krenzel’s steady grit. Whether with Matt Mauck at LSU in 2003 or in his run of five national championships in nine years at Alabama, Nick Saban proved he can win national championships without elite quarterback talent.

However, Saban now looks like the exception to the rule. Over the past decade, teams other than Alabama winning national championships did so with future NFL stars or projected top picks.

Ohio State’s current quarterback, Justin Fields, fits that latter description. He has the body, the skill set and the intelligence NFL teams covet. He backed it up with elite production in his first season as a Buckeye and earned an invitation to the Heisman Trophy ceremony.

If this is college football’s new reality — that great quarterbacks are a prerequisite for winning a championship — Ohio State faces some urgency to capitalize on its window with Fields.

YearTeamQBNFL
2019LSUJoe BurrowHeisman; Projected No. 1 pick
2018ClemsonTrevor LawrenceTBA
2016ClemsonDeShaun WatsonFirst-round pick; 2 X Pro Bowl
2014Ohio StateJ.T. Barrett/Cardale JonesBarrett: UFA, practice squads
Jones: 4th Rnd, 1 NFL gm
2013Florida StateJameis WinstonNo. 1 pick, Pepsi Rookie of the Year, Pro Bowl
2010AuburnCam NewtonHeisman; No. 1 pick, 3 X Pro Bowl, 2015 MVP
2008FloridaTim TebowHeisman (2007); First-round pick, 16 starts in 3 seasons
2007LSUMatt FlynnSeventh-round pick, career backup
2006FloridaTim TebowSee above
2005TexasVince YoungFirst-round pick, Rookie of the Year, 2 X Pro Bowl
2004USCMatt LeinartHeisman; First-round pick
2003LSU/USCMatt Mauck/Matt LeinartMauck: Seventh-round pick, 2 NFL gms; Leinart: Above

A strong-armed and efficient passer, Fields’ overall athleticism allows him to affect games with his speed and toughness as well. He slides in comfortably next to Newton, Winston and Watson as projectable talents at the next level.

Ohio State believes it has recruited three strong quarterback prospects over two classes to succeed Fields. The Buckeyes historically do not crater from a talent standpoint. College Football Playoff contention is a reasonable annual expectation.

Yet projections and expectations are just that, and they don’t always come true.

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Florida State returned to the playoff in 2014 with Winston and, beginning with that season, signed four straight top-six classes. The Seminoles have not won more than 10 games since Winston left.

Auburn lost the 2013 national championship game to FSU with future Saskatchewan Roughrider Nick Marshall under center. The Tigers annually sign classes in the top 10 or just outside it. They have not won more than 10 games since that loss to Winston.

Not coincidentally, neither has produced an NFL draft pick at quarterback since Newton and Winston went No. 1 overall.

Even Alabama seems to understand we live in a different reality. Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa led the 2017 national championship run. Tagovailoa should be the first quarterback drafted after Burrow this April.

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Santa Ana, California’s Bryce Young, the top-ranked quarterback in the 2020 class, signed with Alabama.

Clemson capitalized on its window with Lawrence immediately, then returned to the national championship game at OSU’s expense last season. The Tigers are primed for another run this season.

Barring another Burrow-like emergence, Ohio State is the only program that can counter Lawrence’s star with one of their own. The Buckeyes brought in the nation’s best group of freshman receivers. The offensive line should be among the best in the country. The defense lost multiple stars but retained a talented and experienced core.

The window is wide open, but as history shows, it won’t stay that way indefinitely.


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