Ohio State quarterback Todd Boeckman looks for an open receiver against Michigan State on Oct. 20 in Columbus, Ohio.

Columbus, Ohio ? No one thought Ohio State or its quarterback would be all that good this season.

One of the biggest reasons nobody expected the Buckeyes to be contenders is because they were losing a Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback and replacing him with a guy who had more birthdays (23) than he had minutes on the field (20).

Boy, were a lot of people wrong about the Buckeyes – and Todd Boeckman.

“Sometimes when you’re knighted before you’re deserving it works against you,” coach Jim Tressel said of his quarterback’s three-year wait on the sideline. “There’s the old axiom – some guys have to prove they can’t, some guys have to prove they can. You gain the greatest amount of confidence from your teammates when you’re one of the guys that has to prove he can.”

The Buckeyes are 9-0 and ranked No. 1, led by a quarterback who has played like a grizzled vet even though he’s spent more time watching others play than actually taking snaps.

Boeckman is tall, rangy and self-effacing, and will never be mistaken for last year’s superstar, a brash, strong-armed kid with a chip on his shoulder named Troy Smith. Boeckman’s numbers, however, don’t take a back seat to anyone’s, including Smith’s.

Both were in charge of unbeaten, top-ranked teams through nine games.

Boeckman has completed 139 of 209 passes for 1,799 yards and 21 touchdowns with eight interceptions. At the same point a year ago, Smith was 145 of 214 for 1,898 yards and 22 TDs with two interceptions.

The formula that determines a passer’s effectiveness gives Boeckman a rating of 199.9 – the best in the nation. Smith had a 174.31 through nine games.

Not bad for the son of a high school coach who saw only mop-up duty before this season and was never higher than third – if that – on the depth chart.

“Todd has done a complete 180,” fullback Dionte Johnson said. “He has the confidence that he needs to be our starting quarterback, and he really uses that and transfers that over to every play. … He’s shown he’s the leader and we’re behind him 100 percent.”

Just a few months ago, Boeckman was caught up in a battle for the starting job with Rob Schoenhoft and Antonio Henton. The consistent Boeckman slowly pulled ahead. Every pass was thrown the same way and each time he faced a problem he solved it.