The NFL season begins in just over a month. It starts later than the college football season. There are a few former Ohio State football players who are preparing for the new year and have already played some preseason games. This should help them get in the mood for the regular season.
On Friday night, two former Buckeyes actually played against each other. In fact, they were two former Ohio State quarterbacks. Justin Fields started for the Steelers when he faced CJ Stroud and the Texans. Fields is fighting for a starting spot, while Stroud is already one of the league’s young stars.
So how did these former Ohio State Buckeyes fare against each other? Since it was only the first preseason game, they only played the first quarter. In fact, Stroud only played a couple of series because he did what he had to do early.
Stroud was 2/4 for 41 yards and a touchdown. He dissected the Steelers defense early and had a very nice touchdown pass in the first quarter. That touchdown pass was actually the only one for the Texans, as none of the other quarterbacks playing for them threw a touchdown.
As for Fields, he completed 5 of 6 passes for 67 yards. Many of his throws were short and he failed to complete any deep throws. He also ran three times for just two yards. He also did not lead the Steelers to a touchdown when he was on the field, which is not ideal.
It was cool to see two former Ohio State Buckeyes compete against each other, even if it was during the preseason. Stroud appears to be in midseason form. Fields still has some work to do if he wants to secure the starting spot ahead of Russell Wilson.
