How topical is the Ohio State quarterback question heading into 2015?
It reached Terminal B at Los Angeles International Airport the day after Ohio State’s 42-35 win against Alabama at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. A smattering of fans decked out in their scarlet-and-gray finest waited to board a cross-country flight to Columbus. They even outnumbered Oregon fans, whose team won the Rose Bowl in nearby Pasadena on New Year’s Day.
The theme of those tight-fit conversations took on an interesting tone. Not back toward Alabama and the Sugar Bowl. Not even ahead toward the Ducks and the College Football Championship game on Jan. 12. It’s already about next season.
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"How do you sit Cardale Jones if he wins a national championship?"
If Jones leads Ohio State to the first College Football Playoff title against Oregon on Monday, he will have the same claim to the starting job in 2015 as Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett. That question is in short-term parking for now.
Barnett “is still valuable to this team right now, as is Cardale, so is Braxton,” Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said during Saturday in Arlington Texas, where his team is preparing for the title game. “As I've said before, There’s a unique camaraderie to this team that’s like none other.”
Next spring could be a different story when all three quarterbacks are healthy. When Miller went down with a season-ending shoulder injury in August, Jones and Barrett were inexperienced quarterbacks forced into action.
Barrett broke the Big Ten single-season record for total touchdowns before breaking an ankle against Michigan. Jones could lead Ohio State to arguably the best three-game stretch of any quarterback in Buckeyes history. Crazy for a third-string sophomore QB, right?
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Jones’ celebrity status in Buckeyes country is growing well past his 6-5, 250-pound frame. Jones, also known as "12-Gauge," backed up his claims that he can throw a football 80-to-85 yards. Even his video-game exploits are generating social media buzz. He has finally risen past “that tweet.” Some Cleveland Browns fans already want this guy next season instead of Johnny Manziel.
Imagine if he brings home the national championship. Jones would be adored on the level of Craig Krenzel and Rex Kern — Ohio State’s most recent national championship quarterbacks — with that ring. Jones might as well be Manziel in Columbus, albeit with a much lower profile.
“That’s the most unreal thing,” Jones said. “I’m like, ‘Do you really want a picture with me?’ I’m still not an outgoing guy. I still like to go back to my apartment and watch TV.”
So we’re back to that nice problem to have. Text three different Ohio State fans the question and you might get three different answers, something like this:
“Cardale, dude. No question.”
“If Braxton comes back, it’s him."
“Look at the body of work with J.T. Barrett. It’s gotta be him.”
It’s a nice problem to have, but it’s still a problem. So, where is this thing headed?
Miller’s decision comes first. He’s been rumored to be on the transfer path to Arkansas, Duke, LSU and Florida State. He’s even being recruited by porn stars at the point. He was accused of rooting for Oregon after mis-favoriting a tweet. If he comes back, that complicates this situation.
Lost in all that is the fact Miller is 28-8 as a starter and held the job ahead of Barrett and Jones before the injury.
If Miller goes, Round 2 between Barrett and Jones begins at spring practice, one that did the Buckeyes a favor heading into 2014. Oh, and by the way, freshmen four-star dual-threat Torrance Gibson and three-star Ohio Mr. Football Joey Burrow also are on board.
There’s really no wrong answer for Meyer, a coach who seemingly has the answers to every test. He says it’s not about the system. Success is driven by the personnel.
“A real quarterback would look at you and say, ‘Of course I’m a system quarterback,’ ” Meyer said. “The ones that aren’t in systems don’t know what to do.”
Meyer likely won’t have a better feel for what to do in 2015 after Monday night. But rest assured that question from Terminal B is coming in the postgame conference anyway.
Is Cardale Jones the starter next year? It's becoming a lot harder to say no.
