COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Over and over, Urban Meyer kept stressing that he was going to need both of his talented quarterbacks to contribute to a national title defense.
The Ohio State coach was right again, but this probably wasn’t a scenario he had in mind.
After finally achieving what appeared to be closure after months of competition, debate and flip-flopping, the top-ranked Buckeyes are once again unsettled at the most important position on the field after J.T. Barrett was suspended for a game after a citation for operating a motor vehicle while impaired.
Hello again, Cardale Jones. Goodbye, stability.
Just a week ago, Ohio State turned in one of its most impressive performances of the season at Rutgers, with a prolific offensive outing fueled by Barrett’s dual-threat ability in his first start of the season. Now Ohio State will come off its bye week with its fortunes once more in the hands of Jones when it hosts Minnesota. It's another reminder of something Meyer has worked hard to reinforce publicly and privately all season about his closely scrutinized quarterbacks.
“Cardale is going to be a very active part. Hopefully, we’ll keep him very much involved,” Meyer said leading up to the game at Rutgers. “Whether it’s doing what J.T. did as far as keeping and staying into the game ... I expect Cardale will be very similar in his role as J.T. [was as the backup].
“It's not always going to go by script.”
A year removed from using three different quarterbacks on their way to the championship, the Buckeyes know that better than anybody, though this time around the circumstances might be more surprising than injuries, given Barrett’s status as a captain and respected leader among his teammates. Also, his suspension is far less permanent than a season-ending injury, and Barrett could go right back into the lineup against Illinois in two weeks without missing a beat.
There’s no question he has been the more productive of the two options so far this season. In 132 fewer snaps than Jones, Barrett has been responsible for six more touchdowns. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Barrett has the second-highest Total QBR among active passers since the start of last season, and he has supplemented that with 18 rushing touchdowns.
Now the door is once again open for Jones, and if he shines like he did during the postseason a year ago, Meyer could yet again be forced to reevaluate his options heading into the most crucial part of the season for the aspiring playoff team. Dates with Michigan State and Michigan loom at the end of the month, and it is almost inconceivable that the loaded Buckeyes are heading into November with uncertainty still hanging around at such a crucial position.
Perhaps Meyer doesn’t view it that way at all.
Maybe, as he has indicated all along, there was value for Ohio State in not casting its lot entirely with one guy over the other. Barrett definitely lit a spark with his rushing ability, but Jones' ability to come off the bench and stretch the field has proven a successful formula in the past.
For now, Jones only has to do it for one week, though it could turn into more. Either way, Meyer always seemed to suspect it would take two quarterbacks to manage the season -- and that is clearly still true.
Next week, there’s no debating the show belongs to Jones.