C.J. Stroud loses voice, battles illness in The Game

On3 imageby:Jeremy Birmingham11/27/21

Birm

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Finding a voice after a loss is hard for any Ohio State player.

It was even harder than usual for redshirt freshman quarterback C.J. Stroud following the Buckeyes 42-27 loss at Michigan on Saturday.

Stroud, battling an illness that had plagued him all week, was noticeably weak. His voice strained as he talked into the microphone in the crowded visiting media room at the Big House.

“I don’t know what type of sickness I have,” Stroud said. “But I’ve been sick all week. I’m just trying to get right, trying to get my voice back. There’s not really too much to explain.

“Sometimes you’ve got to play sick.”

Stroud indicated to Lettermen Row that he never missed a practice in the buildup to the high-stakes showdown with Michigan.

But even when he clearly wasn’t at full strength, he still led the Ohio State attack by throwing for 394 yards while completing 69 percent of his attempts. The Buckeyes offense shot itself in the foot multiple times, though, with false start penalties as the crowd of more than 111,000 went full throat whenever Stroud and Ohio State were on the field.

Without his own properly-functioning vocal cords, Stroud and the Buckeyes had a tougher than usual time communicating when they had the football.

“A majority of the time we just kind of put ourselves in a hole,” Stroud said. “We kind of just beat ourselves. I’m not trying to make an excuse, but I lost my voice earlier in the week and I can’t really yell.

“I’m trying my hardest to yell, so I don’t really blame my line. I blame it on me for even getting sick. I tried my hardest to be as loud as I possibly could.”

Though he’s emerged as a Heisman Trophy candidate and has put himself all over the Ohio State record books this season, it’s been a trying one for C.J. Stroud. He was inconsistent early in the season as he dealt with a shoulder issue. The offense struggled at times in the redzone during a midseason swoon. Now, no matter what he does from here in his Ohio State career, he’ll be marked as the quarterback at the helm when the Buckeyes eight-game win streak against rival Michigan came to an end.

Stroud was visibly upset as he talked about it. He was exhausted and worn down from a game that took a physical and mental toll on him. Voice or no voice, he made sure to speak up and make it clear it’s far too early for anybody around Ohio State to give up on C.J. Stroud.

“At the end of the day this is worst feeling we could possibly have,” he said. “I know people probably hate me for it. I know deep down in my heart … I put my body on the line. I put everything I possibly could to win this game.

“Whatever happens, happens. Just know that I love this team. I love Ohio State and I love Buckeye Nation. Every single day I am going to keep grinding to get this win back.”

Turns out C.J. Stroud had to grind just to be heard or even get back on the field for Ohio State in the first place.

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