Legacy on the Line

C.J. Stroud could walk out of the Horseshoe Saturday as the quarterback who avenged Ohio State’s first loss to Michigan in 10 years. In the process, he’d all but assure his team a trip to the College Football Playoff and presumably secure his status as the odds-on favorite to be the first Buckeye in 16 years to hoist the Heisman Trophy.

Or, Stroud could become the first Ohio State starter to lose back-to-back games to the Wolverines since Steve Bellisari more than 20 years ago. As a result, the Buckeyes’ playoff hopes would be in peril, and they’d see their chance at a Big Ten championship snuffed out by their archnemesis for the second straight season. As stellar as Stroud’s Ohio State tenure has been, he could leave the program without any Gold Pants, championship hardware or even the chance to play for a title.

And the Heisman Trophy? Forget about it.

Whichever path comes to fruition, Stroud will hardly be solely responsible. Far from it, in fact. But that won’t stop the outcome of Saturday’s rivalry game from playing an inextricable role in how the California native’s college career is remembered.

(Photo credit: Columbus Dispatch)