Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Ohio State defenders cast a wary eye at Arkansas' Ryan Mallett: 'He's the real deal'

In the Sugar Bowl, Ryan Mallett of Arkansas should join Colt McCoy and Mark Sanchez as the best quarterbacks the current Ohio State players have ever faced.

mallett-vert-auburn-ap.jpgView full size"The guy can just flat out throw the ball," Ohio State safety Jermale Hines says of Arkansas' star QB, Ryan Mallett. "He has a bunch of playmakers around him and he just airs it out."

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Will Arkansas' Ryan Mallett be the best quarterback that Ohio State has faced this season? It's not even close.

"He is by far," senior linebacker Ross Homan said.

"Hands down," senior safety Jermale Hines added. "He makes smart decisions, he knows how to read coverages, and the guy can just flat out throw the ball. He has a bunch of playmakers around him and he just airs it out."

The tougher question while breaking down the Buckeyes' matchup against Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 4 is whether Mallett is one of the best two or three quarterbacks Ohio State has faced during its run of six straight Big Ten titles, up there with Vince Young and Colt McCoy of Texas and USC's Mark Sanchez.

"I'd have to say it's probably Mark Sanchez or Colt McCoy, but he's definitely going to be in that category," Hines said.

"I'd probably go with Colt McCoy," fifth-year senior defensive lineman Dexter Larimore said. "I just remember how accurate he was on the short throws and the medium stuff. [Mallett's] definitely going to be in the mix. Watching the film, he's probably one of the top five guys I've gone against, and I've been here for five years and playing for four."

Since 2005, at least by NFL standards, the Big Ten hasn't exactly been stacked with great quarterbacks. In the five drafts between 2006 and 2010, there were 62 quarterbacks drafted, and five were from the Big Ten -- Michigan State's Drew Stanton in the second round and Ohio State's Troy Smith in the fifth in 2007; Michigan's Chad Henne in the second round in 2008; Purdue's Curtis Painter in the sixth round in 2009; and Northwestern's Mike Kafka in the fourth round in 2010.

The Big Ten didn't call anything the Stanton-Kafka Award in its latest round of trophy naming, so the Buckeyes' defense has typically faced its toughest quarterbacks outside the conference.

The SEC had 10 quarterbacks picked in the last five drafts, the Pac-10 had nine, the Big 12 had seven and the MAC tied the Big Ten with five. So while Iowa's Ricky Stanzi should be drafted in April among the quarterbacks Ohio State faced this season, the 6-foot-6, 238-pound Mallett, who is ranked as the No. 7 overall draft prospect by ESPN analyst Mel Kiper, is on a different level.

"I see him slinging the ball. He really gets it out pretty quick," OSU senior defensive lineman Cameron Heyward said. "He's got a strong arm. He's not a short quarterback, which gives him a lot of vision."

Heyward ranked Sanchez as the best quarterback he's faced in four years, just ahead of McCoy, though he also mentioned LSU's Matt Flynn, who beat the Buckeyes in the national title game three years ago and was a seventh-round pick of the Green Bay Packers, where he's the backup behind Aaron Rodgers.

Mallett could be pushing to start in the NFL next season, if the fourth-year junior and transfer from Michigan turns pro as expected. He threw for more than 300 yards in nine of 12 games this season, including two 400-yard games, as a pure pocket passer in the Razorbacks' pro-style offense.

Ohio State cornerback Devon Torrence compared Indiana's offense with quarterback Ben Chappell to what Arkansas does, but he knows this is a much tougher test that could serve as a showcase for the Ohio State defensive seniors if the Buckeyes play well.

When Mallett drops back and surveys the defense, he looks straight out of the NFL.

"He's the real deal," Torrence said. "You have to respect him and definitely honor his arm and his skill level. ... The biggest thing to me is his strength and his arm size and maybe his confidence. He seems like an all-around good quarterback. He seems like an overall seasoned quarterback."

The kind of quarterback that Ohio State doesn't see every week -- or every year.

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