Ohio State's quarterback battle heading into 2018 is a two-way race between Dwayne Haskins and Tate Martell, but at least Urban Meyer has experience with this kind of depth chart drama in Columbus.
When Braxton Miller suffered a shoulder injury in fall camp in 2014, Meyer had to pick between Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett. In 2015, Miller eventually switched positions while Jones and Barrett battled again before splitting time in the regular season. This QB battle is different, though: The winner will have no starts under his belt, and he will take over a program with national championship aspirations. He'll also be a Heisman Trophy candidate.
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That's life as the starter at Ohio State. Sporting News will break down some of the key quarterback battles in the FBS and what to expect. Today, a look at Ohio State's QB roster.
Ohio State QB competition
Who's out?
J.T. Barrett, who started for Ohio State for most of the last four seasons, is gone. He's the Big Ten's all-time leader in touchdown passes (104) and set the Buckeyes up for a national championship run in 2014 before leading a College Football Playoff run in 2016 and Big Ten championship in 2017. He also finished 4-0 against rival Michigan as a starter. These are big shoes to fill.
Joe Burrow. The redshirt-junior and former Ohio Mr. Football announced on Tuesday he is transferring from the school. He had attempted 39 passes in mop-up duty in his career with the Buckeyes.
Who's in?
Dwayne Haskins. The redshirt-sophomore filled in for Barrett against Michigan and led the Buckeyes to a 31-20 win. He finished 40 of 57 for 565 yards, four touchdowns and one interception last season.
Tate Martell. The redshirt-freshman from Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas didn't play last season, but he's a highlight-reel player.
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What makes this battle unique?
The contrast of styles. Haskins (6-3, 214) appeared comfortable in Meyer's offense in high-pressure situations against Michigan. Burrow (6-3, 215) has a big arm and has waited three years for this opportunity. Both are good fits in this offense. Martell (5-11, 205) has drawn loose comparisons to Johnny Manziel based on his high-school highlights, and it's the viral quality of his style of play that makes him enticing. The winner is an automatic Heisman Trophy candidate. That's the appeal of this battle.
Three more questions
How much will the spring game matter? Haskins and Burrow put on a passing clinic in last year's spring game. Haskins finished 26 of 37 for 293 yards and three touchdowns. Burrow finished 14 of 22 for 262 yards and three touchdowns. Burrow actually had the lead on Haskins for the backup job before suffering a broken hand in fall camp. The competition between those two amps up this spring, especially with Martell in the mix.
Will somebody transfer? This has already been answered. Meyer has managed to hold on to valuable backup quarterbacks through his six-year reign in Columbus, including Kenny Guiton, behind Miller and Jones, behind Barrett (and vice versa), but he couldn't keep Burrow — who will have the graduate transfer rule applied to him — on board.
What will help decide the battle? Barrett played for three different offensive coordinators and three different quarterback coaches. There is continuity on the offensive staff with co-offensive coordinators Kevin Wilson and Ryan Day, and all three quarterbacks are entering their second season with those coaches. That should give each quarterback a fair chance to win the job. The quarterback who meshes with the coaches best will probably start on Sept. 1 against Oregon State.
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Stat that matters
Here is a look at the average per-season production of Ohio State quarterbacks under Meyer.
| OSU QBs | Pass Yards | Pass TDs | INT | Rush Yards | Rush TDs |
| Avg totals | 2,938 | 30 | 9 | 1,150 | 13 |
What does that mean? Meyer is expecting a quarterback who can produce more than 4,000 yards of total offense and 40 total touchdowns.
Who wins?
We'll give Haskins the edge, but expect Martell to get a chance to force the issue, especially now that Burrow is gone.
