Inches being the same, you can't have a larger cog and a smaller ring (if you see what i mean; to get the same inches from different gear combos, both cogs have to increase or decrease by a common factor). Lower gears are easier to slow and skid for the same reason as they are easier to get going.
And inches being the same, torque is unaffected because and avdantage gained by using a smaller ring will be cancelled out by the smaller cog.