J.T. Barrett, not Cardale Jones, should be Ohio State’s starting QB

Already seven weeks into the college football season, one question still lingers over Urban Meyer and the Ohio State Buckeyes: Who should be the starting quarterback?

Since the minute following Ohio State’s inaugural College Football Playoff Championship, that one question was the most talked about situation in college football. With so much talent, who was going to start behind center: Braxton Miller, Cardale Jones, or J.T. Barrett?

With Miller’s position change to wide receiver, the quarterback competition was now down to two. While Barrett was recovering from his broken ankle that he suffered against Michigan in the final regular season game of 2014, Jones received all of the first-team snaps during the spring and for most of fall camp. When the redshirt junior was named the starter, Meyer said that the quarterback job was Jones’ to lose as he led the Buckeyes to the national title. Barrett would have to beat him out to get the starting nod, which No. 16 obviously didn’t do.

Throughout the time Jones has started all seven games this season, Barrett has also received playing time, even though both quarterbacks said that they did not want a rotating-quarterback system. With Barrett voted as one of the team captains for 2015, Meyer admitted that he is one of the best leaders he has ever coached. As a redshirt sophomore, that is an impressive accomplishment, and he has shown that leadership when he has been on the field.

Over the last few weeks, Jones has had plenty of overthrows and has had miscommunications with his receivers. Although the miscommunications may not be his fault, the overthrows been opportunities that the offense has lost out on. They could not have only led to first-downs, but also touchdowns.

With Jones’ struggles in the red-zone (he has yet to throw a red-zone touchdown since being at Ohio State), Meyer believed that he needed to change it up a little, like he did in Florida with Chris Leak and the Heisman-winning Tim Tebow. Over the last two weeks — against Maryland and Penn State — Barrett has been Ohio State’s “red-zone specialist”, and has done a superb job in the role. Before the switch, the Jones’ led Buckeyes scored just 12 touchdowns on 22 red-zone opportunities in 2015. Following the change, the Barrett-led red-zone Buckeyes have converted 11-of-12 opportunities inside the 20-yard line for touchdowns in two games, the only non-touchdown was a field goal. In fact, Jones has yet to throw a red-zone touchdown in 10 career starts at Ohio State.

The Ohio State offense is much better in the red-zone when Barrett is behind center, but what about when the scarlet and gray have the ball outside of the 20-yard line? In Saturday night’s game against Penn State, the answer seemed to be obvious: J.T. Barrett. While Jones struggled against Penn State — 9-for-15, 84 yards — Barrett thrived under the lights, completing all four of his pass attempts for 30 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 102 yards and two more touchdowns on 11 carries.

Against the Nittany Lions, the Barrett-led offense had 270 yards and five touchdowns in 32 plays, while the Jones-led offense had just 141 yards and zero touchdowns in 34 plays. Not only did the offense score all five of its touchdowns when Barrett was behind center, but they also averaged twice as many yards per play (8.4) when No. 16 under center.

Not only did the Buckeyes offense play better, but Barrett seemed to have a better rhythm with his wide receivers, the offense seemed to be more in sync, and the way he runs the read-option, the term “superb” would be an understatement. With a much more in-sync and efficient offense with Barrett behind center, and the fact that the Buckeyes offense has scored more points with Barrett in the game, even outside of the red-zone the last two games, the quarterback situation should have an obvious starter, right? Well, if only it were that easy for Meyer and the rest of the coaching staff.

Meyer has said repeatedly that he won’t make a change until Barrett “beats out” Jones for the starting job, and earns the job back that he had during 2014. Up until Saturday night, No. 16 may not have beat out No. 12, but although it was a blackout Saturday night, it was clear as light that Barrett has finally beat out Jones for the starting quarterback spot.

Jones may have led the Buckeyes in the three biggest games of 2014, but it’s time for Barrett to be back in the saddle for the rest of 2015. The redshirt sophomore proved that he could be a very good quarterback and that he could lead the scarlet and gray before his season-ending injury in 2014, and he is done nothing but the same so far in 2015.