Krenzel's specialty: he just wins

The senior quarterback is at his best in the fourth quarter when the team needs a big play.
COLUMBUS (AP) -- Craig Krenzel is a three-tool threat at quarterback who can beat you with his arm, his legs -- and his head.
Krenzel faces his biggest test Saturday when he guides No. 2 Ohio State against No. 12 Michigan. He can become the first quarterback in 20 years to lead the Buckeyes to back-to-back wins over the rival Wolverines.
He doesn't have an arm like Elway and will never be mistaken for Alvin Ailey when he scrambles, but Krenzel wins -- including 12 consecutive times this season.
Despite his Opie Taylor appearance -- freckles, reddish hair and a quick smile -- he's a big, tough kid. Nobody in Mayberry stared down a 320-pound lineman.
He's at his best when the fourth quarter rolls around and the Buckeyes have to make a play.
"We've been in a lot of tight situations this year," said the junior from Utica, Mich. "We have a lot of confidence that we're going to pull ourselves out of a tight situation and make the play when we need to."
Accurate passer
Krenzel has proved to be an accurate passer (61 percent, 12 TDs, 5 interceptions) and a surprisingly effective runner (257 yards rushing).
The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder seldom makes an error of judgment.
"I've never been so impressed with a young man as far as making decisions on a football field as Craig Krenzel," former Ohio State coach Earle Bruce said. "He makes plays and makes great decisions. He doesn't make any bad decisions either. That's what put 12-0 on the board."
Krenzel didn't see much action throughout his first two seasons until starter Steve Bellisari was suspended from the team for a drunken driving arrest late last season. Scott McMullen started in a loss to Illinois, although Krenzel played well in relief.
Bellisari returned to the team before the game at Michigan, but Krenzel moved up to start. He completed 11-of-18 passes for 118 yards with one interception and led three first-half touchdown drives as the Buckeyes built a 23-0 lead.
"Surprisingly, I wasn't that nervous," he said of his first career start. "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 that it wasn't going to be up to me to win the football game."
Has great supporting cast
That's the key for Krenzel: He doesn't feel as if he's out there by himself.
When the Buckeyes were in trouble at Cincinnati, on a critical third-down play late in the game, instead of forcing the ball deep into double coverage he passed to wide receiver Michael Jenkins who was well short of a first down. Jenkins spun free from a tackle and got the first down as the Buckeyes came back to win.
Two weeks ago, the Buckeyes were trailing 6-3 and faced 4th and 1 at the Purdue 37 with 90 seconds remaining. Krenzel stepped up to avoid a collapsing pocket and -- just as he was wedged between two tacklers -- he lofted a long pass to Jenkins at the goal line for the winning score.
He and Jenkins hooked up on a 50-yard touchdown pass in another close call, last week's overtime victory at Illinois.
"Krenzel has done a great job of creating plays," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "He has improved a great deal and is smart and competitive, which is shown by him making a lot of plays when things broke down."
Krenzel is the thinking man's quarterback. Majoring in molecular genetics, he hopes to go to medical school. His older brother Brian, who played at Duke, is in medical school in Louisville.
"Some people can do genetics but can't do football. He can do both. He's a lucky guy," free safety Donnie Nickey said with a laugh.
Highly intelligent
Krenzel's intelligence allows him to recognize defenses and switch to the proper play. It's sort of like a puzzle that he solves in the seconds he stands behind the center, surveying what the offense faces.
"I play against him every day in practice," Nickey said. "One thing that stands out about him is his ability to recognize a defense and make the right check.
"He knows what coverage you're in. Unless you disguise it or he misses you, then he's going to call the right play."