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C.J. Stroud and the Ohio State Buckeyes were a wide field goal attempt away from advancing to the College Football Playoff National Championship against TCU. Even in a losing effort, Stroud was able to bolster his claim as one of the top eligible quarterback prospects entering the 2023 NFL Draft. 

The scouting report on Stroud coming into the game depicted a well-built 6-foot-3 quarterback with plus arm strength and the tendency to throw with touch, accuracy and anticipation. He has control of the offense at the line of scrimmage and is known to not get beyond his first read, which is not necessarily unheard of in college. The concerns stem from his inefficiencies when pressured, as well as his reliance on being a strict pocket passer rather than extending plays with his legs and making plays outside of structure. 

In Saturday's 41-42 loss to Georgia, the California native was able to dispel some of those concerns. In an episode of CBSSports.com's 'With the First Pick' podcast, CBS Sports analyst and longtime NFL general manager Rick Spielman offered his perspective of Stroud's performance.

"The biggest thing when you watch that game is that he actually made some plays with his legs. He is always trying, when you watch the tape this year, and even last year, to prove that he is a quarterback and a pocket passer," Spielman said. "It seemed like he didn't want to make plays with his legs. Everybody talked about, and even some of the people I have talked to at Ohio State -- he is a better athlete than he is showing on the tape this year. 

"All of a sudden, someone unchained the beast for a national championship game," Spielman continued. "There was no question about his arm talent, no question about his accuracy. I thought he got through his decision process a lot better against an NFL-caliber defense at the University of Georgia. The difference in this game, and what kept them in the game and probably what gave them a chance to win that game, was his ability to make plays with his legs. That is so important now in the NFL because you see all of these quarterbacks coming out having success can not only throw the ball but they can make plays with their legs."

Stroud completed 23-of-34 pass attempts for 348 yards and four touchdowns. According to TruMedia, he avoided three tackles Saturday alone. In the prior 12 games, he had avoided just one tackle. The quarterback registered 12 of his 47 carries on the year, doubling his previous single-game high of six carries. His 34 rushing yards were the second most (79 rushing yards against Northwestern) in a game this season. Stroud amassed just 108 rushing yards all year. In an exercise of quick math, he accumulated 113 total rushing yards in two games and -5 total rushing yards in the remaining 11 games. It should not be difficult to envision his play style on those 11 contests. 

Passing EPA (Expected Points Added) when scrambling was 1.85 against Georgia. His year-long average was -0.2, according to TruMedia. The NFL leaders in the same metric are Justin Fields, Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Daniel Jones and Patrick Mahomes. Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson and Aaron Rodgers are not far behind, which suggests there is some correlation. In short, Stroud used his legs more and was effective in doing so. His final collegiate game served as a showcase for prospective NFL suitors highlighting his capabilities.

Some have tried to peddle a narrative that Ohio State quarterbacks can not be successful in the NFL based on the performance of previous prospects drafted from the university. It is a stretch, considering Craig Krenzel, Troy Smith, Terrelle Pryor and Cardale Jones were picked outside of the first round. Quarterbacks taken beyond Round 1 rarely find success. Dwayne Haskins and Fields were each picked in the first round, and Fields has shown a lot of improvement in his first season with new head coach Matt Eberflus. 

Stroud is the biggest factor in whether or not he ultimately achieves success and this weekend's performance went a long way toward convincing teams that he is a viable franchise quarterback. 

At the end of the day, he cemented his claim as being one of the top quarterbacks in this draft class along with Alabama's Bryce Young and Kentucky's Will Levis, which likely results in his selection among the top half of the first round. If he is taken in the top 10, he would be the first Buckeye quarterback with that distinction since Art Schlichter was taken No. 4 overall by the Colts in 1982. 

The 2023 NFL Draft is set to begin April 27 from Kansas City, Missouri.