A year after falling short to Michigan State in the Big Ten title game, Urban Meyer and No. 6 Ohio State are headed back to Indianapolis for a matchup against No. 11 Wisconsin this Saturday.
The Buckeyes haven’t won a conference title since 2009 (their shared championship in 2010 was vacated) despite winning 35 of their 38 games under Meyer. Beating the Badgers and earning that championship will be a tall order without star quarterback J.T. Barrett, though. The Heisman Trophy candidate suffered a fractured ankle early in the fourth quarter against Michigan and will be sidelined for the rest of the season.
How can Ohio State rise up and beat Wisconsin? These three X-factors will be imperative as the Buckeyes try to replace Barrett and stop a powerful Badgers offense.
Cardale Jones
Faced with the reality of going to the Big Ten title game without the quarterback who was instrumental in getting his team there, Meyer talked about backup Cardale Jones, who will take the reins as Barrett’s replacement.
“Obviously, we lost a Heisman candidate today, J.T. Barrett,” Meyer said, according to Bob Hunter of The Columbus Dispatch. “So we’ve got to go. We’ve got to go, and we have a lot of confidence in the guy that’s going to be doing it. His name is Cardale Jones. He’s been here, I think, for 120 years. He’s been here awhile.”
Jones, a redshirt sophomore, was a part of Meyer’s first recruiting…
Continue Reading: The 3 Biggest X-Factors for Ohio State vs. Wisconsin
