The quarterback carousel took another turn in Columbus yesterday as quarterback Cardale Jones was replaced yesterday by J.T. Barrett. Though, Jones is not the starter on the team, he will play a significant role on the Buckeyes roster. Jones gained instant fame after he led the Buckeyes on a three game historic run that eventually turned into a National Championship. Jones pondered making the jump going to the NFL, but he decided to come back to play for the scarlet and gray.
This season wasn’t as glaring as the end of last season, but despite Jones’ struggles the Buckeyes are 7-0. The wins weren’t pretty, and the offense stalled several times with Jones at the helm, but it wasn’t his entire fault. Yes, Jones was inaccurate at times and careless with the football, but to be honest he wasn’t always put in the best position that displayed his arsenal of talents. Jones is a prototypical quarterback that has the size and arm strength that NFL scouts drool over. For last year’s Ohio State Buckeyes team Jones skillset was perfect for that team.
Gone from last year’s team are Evan Spencer, Jeff Heuerman, and Devin Smith. Smith, whose yards per catch were 28.3, is missed immensely. The combination of Jones and Smith connected on a lot of big plays that softened up running lanes for Ezekiel Elliot.
In Jones’ three starts last season, Elliot had over 200 yards rushing in each game. With Jones arm strength and the combination of Smith’s speed defenses could not lurk near the line of scrimmage. Replacing Smith was easier said than done, and the same could be said for Evan Spencer and Jeff Heuerman. In Spencer and Heuerman you had two versatile players whose impact on the field was a lot bigger than the numbers showed. Spencer and Heuerman were great blockers that attributed it to the perimeter runs that are really reliant for the Buckeyes offense. Fast forwarding to this season, Jones is without three of his key offensive weapons not to mention a new offensive coordinator.
Former offensive coordinator Tom Herman put Jones in the best position to succeed, and with this year he was often not utilized to the best of his abilities. With this Buckeyes team, it is more about precision and less about big plays. The big plays are there, but they will have to come in different fashion. With Devin Smith no longer in the fold, the Buckeyes don’t have player that can take the top off of the defense. Though, the Buckeyes don’t have a speedster such as Smith, they do have players such as Braxton Miller, Michael Thomas, Curtis Samuel, Jalin Marshall, and Ezekiel Elliot that can score whenever they touch the football. The aforementioned players aren’t really long ball threats a la Devin Smith, but if they get the ball in space, they can make their defenders miss and take it distance.
That brings me to talk about J.T. Barrett. Barrett’s game is based on precision as he is more of an accurate quarterback than Jones. Barrett is a master at the read-option and arguably one of the most accurate quarterbacks in all of college football. Last season, Barrett set a Big Ten record with 44 total touchdowns, and he missed the last three games of the season. With the current weapons around Barrett, they suit his style of play better than Jones. Jones and Barrett are two vastly different quarterbacks. With Jones and Barrett at the helm the Buckeyes are two different teams.
Urban Meyer made the move to go with Barrett as it’s getting close to crunch time during conference play. Jones will have to be ready at all times, and support his teammates through this journey. This Buckeyes team may not be well-suited for Jones, but that doesn’t mean that this is end for Jones. NFL teams will drool over Jones if he continues to support Barrett and the team. To Jones, this is a test of his character, and if he supports Barrett throughout the rest of the season, scouts can see that he is a great teammate. Everyone knows about the arm strength and intangibles which means that he would be a perfect project for a NFL team that already has a veteran quarterback. Jones is better suited to run a pro-style offense rather than a spread offense.
NFL teams such as Pittsburgh, Denver, and San Diego would be ideal landing spots for Jones so that he can learn to play the quarterback position on the next level. NFL teams look at the spread offense as a joke, and they know that in the NFL, winning quarterback play is won from the pocket. Jones won a National Championship playing as from the pocket and managing the team in the process, and that’s what he will be asked to do on Sunday’s.
Barring any injury, Jones may never start another game in an Ohio State uniform, and that’s perfectly fine. With a 10-0 starting record, a Big Ten championship, Sugar Bowl victory, and National Championship on his resume all isn’t bad when it comes to Jones career as a Buckeye. The college game has evolved into a read and react game on the offensive side of the ball, and the NFL is the total opposite.
Many people are writing off Jones, but to be honest it’s just to beginning for him. College makes you grow up whether playing a sport or not, and in this case this is just another obstacle that Jones has to bulldoze over. Jones has been through way worse, and at the end of the day there is still light at the end of the tunnel. College football may not be what best suits Jones at this point, but his experiences this year will make him a better pro. We may not see the 12 gauge as much on Saturday’s, but in the next few years, we will see the 12 gauge locked and loaded on Sunday afternoons.
