National: Does Ohio State’s Urban Meyer have a Midas touch when it comes to handling quarterbacks? Ex-QB Braxton Miller appears to have made the transition to receiver seamlessly based on Monday’s performance against Virginia Tech. And providing he stays healthy, can J.T. Barrett remain content in a backup role to Cardale Jones?
Tom Schad: I’ll be honest: I never thought this three-quarterback arrangement would work. I thought at least one member of that trio would transfer, if only because proven college quarterbacks are so hard to find. (Oh, and the fact that NFL draft stock and millions of dollars in future earnings are at stake.) However, Meyer appears to have all three of them on board. And he did a good job Monday night of getting all of them involved, albeit to varying degrees. I think this will work out for the remainder of the year, which is bad news for everybody else on the Buckeyes’ schedule.
Chris Powers: Remember the 2006 National Champion Florida Gators? Remember the names Chris Leak and Tim Tebow? This isn’t the first time Urban Meyer has juggled two quarterbacks. It seems the old adage “If you’ve got two quarterbacks, you don’t have any” doesn’t apply to Urban Meyer. The trick with this Ohio State team, which looked dominant against Virginia Tech, will be how J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones handle the competition. If Ohio State keeps winning it will be easy to put team above personal interests. The true test will be when Ohio State faces adversity this year and how those two QBs respond. There was already some pouting on the sidelines against Virginia Tech so this should be an interesting situation to keep an eye on this season.
Nick Vergos: The stars have aligned perfectly in Columbus, Ohio. Urban Meyer names Cardale Jones the starter, the Ohio State team members name J.T. Barrett captain, and Braxton Miller displays that he might be better at H-Back than QB. All three players have found their niche on the team and are embracing their roles. Meyer has managed this situation perfectly. All the puzzle pieces have seamlessly fallen into place.
Chris Wallace: Urban Meyer has a Midas touch not just in developing quarterbacks but in all phases of program building and coaching, particularly recruiting. Meyer has recruited, then developed, the most talented quarterback corps seen in college football in years. J.T. Barrett not only will stay content in his current backup role but is extraordinarily positive and supportive of Cardale Jones. Ohio State not only is the most talented and deepest team in the country but may have the greatest team chemistry.
Shaun Micheel: As we saw on Monday, Braxton Miller can do just about anything. His knowledge of the QB position will make him more of a threat at wide receiver. If Cardale stays healthy, J.T. Barrett may not see much playing time if Urban continues to employ the Wildcat (formation) with Miller. Meyer has an incredible feel for game situations and seems to be confident in his ability to make adjustments on the fly. So as close as the Barrett-Jones competition seems to be, both better be ready.
Continue Reading: The CA’s College Football Roundtable: Talking Tigers, Vols, Ohio State
