I like Colt," said OSU coach Jim Tressel. "He has a quick release, he's tough and he's smart. But he's in a different world now."
View full sizeOhio State's last memory of playing Colt McCoy was seeing the Texas quarterback lead a game-winning drive in the 2009 Fiesta Bowl. So Jim Tressel and players from that game expressed respect for the Browns' rookie as he prepared for what could be his NFL debut on Sunday.COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio State Buckeyes have felt the wrath of Colt McCoy, the rookie starter presumptive at quarterback for the Browns this Sunday at Pittsburgh.
The Buckeyes beat McCoy when he was a University of Texas redshirt freshman, in Austin in 2006. The 24-7 victory over a young Longhorn team that was ranked No. 1 early in the season as the defending national champions propelled the Buckeyes to a season-long stay at the nation's top-ranked team -- until it all came crashing down in the BCS Championship Game against Florida.
After the 2008 season, McCoy, a junior, completed 31 of 59 passes for 414 yards against OSU in the Fiesta Bowl. He ran for one touchdown and threw for two, the last from 26 yards out with 16 seconds to play. It ended a 78-yard drive in a 24-21 Texas victory. McCoy also threw an interception. He was overwhelmingly named the game's Most Valuable Player.
"I like Colt," said OSU coach Jim Tressel, a native of the Cleveland area and a lifelong Browns fan. "He has a quick release, he's tough and he's smart. But he's in a different world now. I'm sure [the Browns coaching staff] will do things to limit what he has to do."
Tressel said Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau will obviously try to rattle the rookie quarterback. "You know, they say the only place coach LeBeau won't blitz from is the bus," said Tressel of LeBeau, who played on Ohio State's 1957 national championship team.
Defensive back Jermale Hines from Glenville said, "I thought Colt McCoy was a very good quarterback. He was smart and athletic. He's one of the best we've played against. Whenever we showed coverage, he got the ball out to the right man. He managed their team very well."
Defensive tackle Dexter Larimore, a fifth-year senior, had the highest praise for McCoy. "He was the best college football player we faced that year," said Larimore, and those Buckeyes faced USC's Mark Sanchez, now a two-year starter for the New York Jets. "McCoy was very accurate -- short and long. He could move outside the pocket and throw accurately. And he was hard to tackle. It's not like he was Vince Young [Texas' legendarily athletic national championship-winning QB, who preceded McCoy]. But if he got outside, he could make you miss and regret letting him get out there."
Said OSU senior defensive end Cameron Heyward. "[McCoy] is a gunslinger. He was getting it out so quick the last time we played."
Told McCoy would start against the Steelers, Heyward said, "Well, best of luck to him. Those Steelers are nothing to play with."