When quarterback Braxton Miller was injured before the college football season even got underway, it seemed like all hope was lost for an Ohio State Buckeyes team that was considered a legitimate national title trophy contender. However, J.T. Barrett stepped up and threw for 2,834 yards and registered a combined 45 touchdowns while leading Ohio State to an 11-1 record.
He even earned consideration for the Heisman Trophy along the way before suffering a broken ankle in last week’s win over Michigan. The critics were quick to write off the Buckeyes again when Barrett went down, but head coach Urban Meyer – and everyone else in the OSU locker room – still feels they aren’t dead in the water just yet.
Because We’ve Been Down This Road Before
The Buckeyes will turn to sophomore quarterback Cardale Jones for this week’s Big Ten Championship game against Wisconsin and while he has zero experience running the first-team offense, they still feel as though he gives them an excellent chance to win the football game. Listed at 6 ft. 5 in., 250 pounds, Jones has completed 58.8 percent of his passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns in clean up duty this season.
While he doesn’t have the reps to prove he can get the job done, every indication from Meyer and his staff is that he is very capable. The ability to make plays with both his arm and legs will allow Jones to improvise if things break down around him and it won’t surprise anybody if the team runs a ton of bootlegs and option runs in order to get him out on the perimeter where he can show off his speed and size. It’s important to remember how everyone was down on this same Buckeyes team before anybody knew how good Barrett would be because the Ohio State staff feels Jones is just as capable of a big performance.
The Quarterback Isn’t The Only Key To The Buckeyes Offensive Success
While the coaching staff has complete faith in Jones to lead the Buckeyes offense, it is also very important to underline the fact he is not the only key to their success. Ohio State ranked 12th in the entire FBS with an average of 257.4 rushing yards per game on the ground this season and they will undoubtedly give their star running back Ezekiel Elliott an opportunity to carry the load on the ground.
Elliott has run for 1,182 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, and also proved he can contribute in the passing game with 26 catches for 208 yards. Wide receivers Devin Smith and Michael Thomas will be challenged by the lack of experience they have catching passes from Jones but the real key will be Elliott and a Buckeyes rushing attack that will be asked to lead the way.
Defense Must Step Up
Ohio State will also lean on a defense that will have to be better than it was the last two weeks when it allowed an average of 27.5 points to Indiana and Michigan. The Buckeyes have allowed an average of 22.9 points per game this season and while they were able to get away with giving up a couple of key plays every game (because the offense covered up for them), they certainly can’t rely on Jones and company to bail them out in the Big Ten Championship game.
OSU will have to stack the box against a Wisconsin offense that has averaged a ridiculous 334.4 rushing yards per game, good for third best in the entire country. The Buckeyes ability to slow down Melvin Gordon and the Badgers rushing attack will be key to their success and if they can hold their own against the run, it will give them a chance to win this game. The situation certainly isn’t nearly as favorable as it would have been if Barrett was healthy but given Jones’ raw talent, the ability of the Buckeyes running backs led by Elliott, and a defense that feels it can slow down the Wisconsin rushing attack, Ohio State certainly isn’t dead in the water just yet.
