Vince Young is 18-2 as the starting quarterback for Texas. That alone tells you enough about the player touted as the next Michael Vick.
More Top Picks Best Machetes For Bushcraft
He’s a winner. He’s a Heisman Trophy candidate, possibly college football’s best talent.
Young and his second-ranked Longhorns bring their act to Columbus, Ohio, when they play fourth-ranked Ohio State on on Saturday night.
The Longhorns have won 21 of their last 22 road games, so they won’t be rattled inside the Horseshoe. And with Young, a redshirt junior, Texas enters every game with even more confidence.
“We are really excited about Vince’s personality in big games and the way he handled himself at the end of last year, specifically the Rose Bowl,” Texas coach Mack Brown said. “I think that flipped another switch for him and put him in another gear. He’s pumped about this game.”
Young’s performance in Texas’ 38-37 victory over Michigan in the Rose Bowl vaulted him into the minds of college football fans everywhere. He completed 16 of 28 passes for 180 yards and a touchdown. He ran for 192 yards and four touchdowns on 21 carries. He rallied Texas from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit and was named the game’s most valuable player.
Those figures only hint at Young’s overall danger level. He has a strong and accurate arm. He has great speed and elusiveness. He has poise and patience in reading defenses.
And he keeps getting better.
“He’s gotten to the point where he’s a lot more comfortable knowing the offense,” offensive lineman Jonathan Scott said. “He’s definitely the ringleader of the offense. He knows the ins and outs. With all the incredible athleticism that he has, he’s even more confident when situations arise.
“The thing that probably impressed me the most from Day One was his awareness. His responsiveness to picking apart the defense was on a totally different level than any other I’ve seen.”
Brown noted that Young had a great spring and preseason. He mentioned Young’s impressive season-opening performance against Louisiana-Lafayette, in which Young completed 13 of 17 passes for 173 yards and three touchdowns while running for 49 yards and another touchdown in Texas’ 60-3 win.
Brown noted how Young still isn’t satisfied, how he wants to improve his decision-making.
“He is so hard on himself because he’s such a great competitor,” Brown said. “But I think he has a chance. If he just keeps playing with the attitude that he is right now, he’ll be a great pro player.”
Most Buckeyes acknowledge and respect him.
“He’s lived up to the hype he’s gotten so far,” Ohio State linebacker A.J. Hawk said.
Defensive end Mike Kudla said the key to limiting Young’s effectiveness is to turn him into a one-dimensional player by keeping him inside the pocket and forcing him to throw on every down, a trait some think Young hasn’t completely developed.
“He’s got that ability to get in space,” Kudla said. “We’re almost kind of lucky we get to work with [quarterback Troy Smith] every day in practice. He’s not as quick as Troy, but he’s definitely very fast. And he’s long-strided, so he can definitely get a lot of yards real quick.”