QUARTERBACK Krenzel is the glue holding Buckeyes together

His statistics aren't all that impressive except for one -- 13 straight wins.
By GEORGE RICHARDS
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
PHOENIX -- Craig Krenzel's career at Ohio State appeared to be stuck on pause last season. He even was allowed to travel to his sister's wedding the same day his Buckeyes were playing San Diego State. But when starter Steve Bellisari was arrested and then Scott Mullen struggled in his place, Krenzel got his chance.
The only player from Michigan on the Buckeyes' roster, Krenzel was the starting quarterback for a date with the hated Wolverines in Ann Arbor.
In his first start, Krenzel led Ohio State to a stunning 26-20 victory over the Wolverines, OSU's first there since 1987.
Krenzel figured it was just a start, but he probably didn't expect all this, as his No. 2 Buckeyes prepare for the Fiesta Bowl national championship game Friday against Miami.
"I was excited," said Krenzel, who is 14-1 as Ohio State's starting quarterback after this season's 13-0 mark. "Surprisingly, I wasn't that nervous.
"I had a lot of confidence in our team that they were going to play well and kind of rally around me and make sure it wasn't going to be up to me to win the football game, which is what happened."
Doubts
Still, doubts about Krenzel's ability persisted that season, and he was yanked after the first quarter of the Outback Bowl as Bellisari came back for his final appearance in an Ohio State uniform. Krenzel went into spring practice in a fight for the starting job and wasn't awarded it until the end of fall practice.
In Ohio State's opening game against Texas Tech, Krenzel completed 11-of-14 passes for 118 yards in the Buckeyes' 45-21 victory and the job has been his ever since.
As in his game against Tech, Krenzel's statistics have been anything but flashy this season: 141-of-228 for 1,988 yards. Krenzel has thrown for 12 touchdowns but has been intercepted just five times.
"He has a lot of poise and patience," coach Jim Tressel said. "You've got to have that, especially in away-game situations because things may not feel good on the road. You've got to have a belief in yourself, and he knows that. He just keeps making good decisions."
Repeats win over Michigan
Last month, Krenzel repeated his mastery of the Wolverines, becoming the first Ohio State quarterback to win consecutive games against Michigan since Cornelius Greene did it in 1974-75. While his stats may not stand out, Krenzel propensity to win has been impressive -- much like his counterpart Ken Dorsey from Miami.
"I feel like the guy who's fortunate enough to sit behind the wheel of a Porsche," he said after beating Michigan for the second time.
When his team has needed him the most, Krenzel delivered. When the Buckeyes were losing to Cincinnati, Krenzel scored by running in a touchdown. Losing to Purdue and facing a fourth down? Touchdown pass.
And Krenzel seems to be too smart to worry about his team being close to a two-touchdown underdog in the Fiesta Bowl. Majoring in molecular genetics, Krenzel carries a 3.7 grade-point average and plans to enter medical school.
"Being an underdog doesn't bother us a bit," Krenzel said.