It’s the No. 1 question for the No. 1 team heading into the 2015 college football season.
Who is going to start at quarterback for Ohio State? Get ready to hear that question a million more times, and don’t expect an answer anytime soon from coach Urban Meyer. It’s more than just a “fairly unique” situation, however. This is an unprecedented situation where three quarterbacks on the same team could win a Heisman Trophy and a national championship.
So who starts? Here are five questions that need answered first.
Can Cardale pull ahead this spring?
This is Cardale Jones’ time to shine. He’s already a hero for leading Ohio State to wins against Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon, and the 6-foot-5, 250-pounder turned down a shot at the NFL Draft in order to return. Jones has the advantage of being healthy in spring practice, while Barrett (ankle) and Miller (labrum) are recovering from injuries. Jones likely will get most of the reps in the spring game, and a strong showing there will force the question heading into the summer. Once again, how can you tell this kid, “No?”
Will Braxton Miller stay put?
Miller is taking the biggest risk of the three quarterbacks; the potential risk of heading into the 2016 NFL Draft without two years of game tape. That’s not to say Miller can’t win the job. He’s 28-8 as a starter with Ohio State, including a 24-2 record with Meyer as head coach. He’s also a senior. While rumors of Miller transferring or switching positions continue to swirl, none of that is concrete. He’s also capable of winning the job.
Who could forget J.T. Barrett?
Barrett set a single-season Big Ten record with 45 total touchdowns last season, and he’s embodied “team player” throughout his time in Columbus. That was reflected in his comments to the Columbus Dispatch on Wednesday. “People think Braxton should get it because Braxton was there for three years. Or I should get it because I played well for 11 games. Or Cardale should get it for (his performance in the postseason).That’s not the point of it. Nobody is going to be given anything. Let’s just knock that out. Barrett, a redshirt sophomore, wouldn’t necessarily lose anything by not starting this year, because no matter what he’ll be the front-runner in 2016.
Could Urban Meyer incorporate all three?
If anybody could do it, it’s Meyer. He’s repeatedly said he likes all three quarterbacks, and it wouldn’t be impossible to work all three into a weekly game plan. Meyer is going to answer the quarterback question at every press conference from here until September, and perhaps into the regular season. The bottom line is Ohio State quarterbacks have combined for 96 passing touchdowns, 43 rushing TDs and just 28 interceptions the last three seasons. Meyer made it work with Miller and Kenny Guiton his first two seasons; he can make it work with three QBs in 2015.
Seriously, who starts in Week 1?
It might not matter. Ohio State has three quarterbacks fully-capable of leading the Buckeyes in their defense of the national championship, and whoever starts is going to put up monster numbers. Ask three different Ohio State fans and you might get three different answers, but the decision rests on Meyer, and we likely won’t know until the week leading up to the Labor Day opener at Virginia Tech. Whoever starts will feel that pressure given the Hokies are the only team to give Ohio State a regular-season loss under Meyer. Pressed for a guess, Jones takes the first snap, but there is no wrong answer here.
