Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins smiles, with a rose between his teeth, after Ohio State defeated Washington 28-23 in the Rose Bowl NCAA college football game Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, in Pasadena, Calif.COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Dwayne Haskins only spent one season as Ohio State football’s starting quarterback, but did plenty to leave behind a legacy.
Sometimes it would be with his words with how he answered questions. Sometimes it would be with his facial expressions rather than what he didn’t say. Then there were times when it was happening on the other side of the field, after practice, while outside cameras just so happened to be on the indoor field.
“I love all my receivers, but I definitely have a special connection with Austin,” Haskins said. “We had to make a play, and it was one-on-one. I’ll take my boy anytime.” Burrow’s success in 2019 had provided fans with the perfect barbershop discussion of if Ohio State picked the right quarterback. But back in 2018, it was clear what the answer was from the moment Haskins stepped onto the field.Welcome to the new era of passing offenses in Columbus. Haskins took the field as Ohio State’s new QB1 and completed 22 of 30 passes for 313 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown to Terry McLaurin to open up the second half after a 70-minute weather delay.
Ohio State has rarely been the underdog coming into its rivalry game on the last weekend of the regular season. Jim Tressel’s arrival in 2001 started the process of the two programs trending in different directions. Then Urban Meyer’s arrival in 2012 only further widened the gap. In what would be Meyer’s final Michigan game, Haskins sent the legendary coach out in style with his seventh win.