Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Battle between Barrett, Jones expected to highlight preseason camp
By ARI WASSERMAN
Northeast Ohio Media Group
COLUMBUS
The first question Ohio State’s coaching staff had to answer about the quarterback competition stumped them all: Who should take the first reps of fall camp?
When in doubt, flip a coin.
That’s literally how Ohio State decided whether Cardale Jones or J.T. Barrett would take the first snap at practice on Monday. Quarterbacks coach Tim Beck flipped the coin in the team room and it came up Jones.
“He got heads,” Barrett said. So presumably, Barrett will be the first quarterback on the field with the first team the next time Ohio State practices. Scientific.
But that’s the point at which Ohio State currently stands in its quarterback race. Nobody has a head start or an edge. Everything is from square one.
“Straight even,” Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said, setting the stage for what’s sure to be a very hectic — and entertaining — month.
Below are four more things you must know from the first day of Ohio State’s high-profile quarterback race:
2. Braxton Miller is completely out of the QB race: Though Miller’s move to H-Back has been out there for a few weeks, there was still some uncertainty as to whether he could return to the quarterback room.
Meyer solved all of the unknown when he said that Miller spent the entire first day of camp out wide and has permanently moved to wide receiver. So this is a two-horse race between Barrett and Jones.
3. Ohio State won’t announce a winner: Ohio State may find out a lot sooner than a month from now who is going to be it’s starting quarterback, but you won’t. Meyer said there will be no formal announcement of a winner, so we’ll have to wait and see who trots out there vs. Virginia Tech on Sept. 7.
There was some worry that Ohio State would want to figure out a starter sooner because spitting first-team reps between two players could be difficult for getting one ready. But Meyer is in no rush.
“It’s a little different because they are both established guys,” Meyer said. “Cardale has been there a long time, now. What is this, his eighth year here? J.T. played a lot of football. We won’t announce it until the first guy takes the field against Virginia Tech.”
4. Why it will take all month to find the winner: Ohio State may legitimately need the entire month to decide. Beck said the Buckeyes will be taking note of everything Jones and Barrett do, from on-the-field production to presence in the locker room. That will extend the process.
“I could see one guy having a good day and the next day the other guy has a good day,” Beck said. “That’s why it can’t be a knee-jerk reaction.”
5. The buck stops at Meyer: Everyone is going to have input on who wins the battle, but Beck, a first-year assistant, knows that when it comes game time, it’ll be Meyer’s opinion that matters the most in the decision-making.
“He’s been here. He knows the guys,” Beck said of Meyer. “It’s Coach’s program. Coach Warinner will be involved, and through the process, everyone will have input to some degree because everyone will see practice and see it unfold. Obviously, Coach will make the final decision.”
6. This is a friendly competition: That doesn’t mean that it’s not heated. Barrett said that he’s going to be helpful of Jones because that’s what’s best for the team, but Barrett is going to do everything to beat his friend out.
“If there’s something I see on the film, and he may not see it, I would be a bad guy if I didn’t help him,” Barrett said. “It would make him better and it would make our team better if he sees that.
“Do I want Cardale to be successful? Yes. I just want my best play to be better than his best play. I still want him to perform his best, but the fact is I still want to be the quarterback out there making calls. I don’t want to downplay that. But I don’t want him to not succeed, that’s not a lift to me.”