Ex Ohio State Buckeyes Star QB C.J. Stroud Continues to Prove Doubters Wrong

C.J. Stroud is taking the NFL world by storm after dealing with critics throughout the pre-draft process.

There are still three months left in the NFL season, but betters are staying to throw all their chips in the pile on former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud taking home some hardware. 

Offensive Rookie of the Year? He's the current favorite even after former Texas phenom Bijan Robinson decided to one-hand his way to a victory over Stroud's Texans Sunday in Atlanta. 

Pro Bowl invitee? Players always pull out of the week-long festivities. At worst, Stroud would be an alternate. The best-case scenario is him just being one of the top three passers in the AFC. 

MVP dark horse? Okay, now we're really putting Stroud on a pedestal filled with expectations no one can achieve. Yes, even Patrick Mahomes would have had trouble accomplishing those goals.

Still, Stroud's early-season success can't be ignored. A quarterback flagged for a bad test score basically telling the NFL community to shove it? 

That's the guy who's won over the hearts of Houston after dealing with the Deshaun Watson drama. It's the same guy who left Columbus as one of the greatest to call "hike" behind the line of scrimmage. 

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (No. 7)  avoids a sack against the Baltimore Ravens  / Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

"C.J. continues to do a really good job of protecting the ball, protecting the team," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. "C.J. continues to play well. We just have to continue to play well around him."

All Stroud does is win. Even in losses, no one is pointing the finger and calling him the problem. Bad play-calling, a sluggish defense and a limitation on being aggressive factored into the Texans' 21-19 loss Sunday against the Falcons. 

For Stroud? His go-ahead touchdown pass to Dalton Schlutz only added another notch to his legendary rookie season. 

Ice in his veins? More like fire at his fingertips. 

Stroud's on pace to throw for a franchise record 5,000 yards after dropping another 249 yards against an improved Falcons' secondary featuring former Buckeyes star Jeff Okudah. He continues to feed the ball to countless targets, similar to what made him great at Ohio State. 

Nico Collins is the Texans' No. 1, just like Garrett Wilson was for the Buckeyes two years ago. That doesn't mean Schutlz, rookie Tank Dell or veteran Robert Woods can't go off for a breakout game. 

Sound familiar, Buckeyes fans? Do Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Marvin Harrison Jr. ring a bell?

Stroud's consistency knows no limits. That's clear after yesterday's outing on the road against a team looking to claim its first division title in six seasons. When the clock struck zero, the rookie who grew up in California crossed another milestone - 168 pass attempts and zero interceptions. 

Move over Dak Prescott. Stroud now sits atop the league these days. 

“He may be a rookie, but he’s not a rookie,” Texans veteran offensive lineman Tytus Howard said. “That guy’s special, so we follow him. He leads us, and he is going to take us a long way.”

Houston's future is bright, even if this season ends up being bleak. The Texans weren't supposed to be world-class beaters that pummeled franchises with legitimate Super Bowl-caliber rosters into oblivion. 

The Texans, a franchise that just became legal to drink, are still years away from hoisting up a Lombardi Trophy, but they now have a foundation with Stroud at the helm. Teams that win the Super Bowl often have the right quarterback commanding the huddle. 

Who could have predicted Stroud taking the NFL world by storm in Year 1? 

Just ask the folks in Columbus for tonight's winning lottery numbers while you're at it.