For most of the country, entertaining and meaningful sports stories can be hard to come by in the summer, but in Ohio, the offseason is arguably the most intriguing time of the year. Johnny Manziel seems to have more headlines written about his activities off the field than on it, and LeBron James’ on-again off-again relationship with the Cleveland Cavaliers is one “decision” away from plunging the entire state into complete disarray.
This year, the state features one of the most exciting quarterback races the college football world has ever seen. In the immediate aftermath of last season, Ohio State coach Urban Meyer had three proven quarterbacks competing for the starting job. Both Braxton Miller (preseason), who ultimately missed last season due to injury and J. T. Barrett (regular season) received some well-deserved Heisman attention last year, but neither one of those guys were responsible for leading the Buckeyes through the postseason to secure a national title. That honor belongs to one-time third string quarterback Cardale Jones.
A week ago that competition was a muddled mess, but the picture should start to clear up now that Miller has decided to switch over to wide receiver. The general consensus around the program and media at large seems to suggest that the still recovering Miller did in fact make the right decision for both himself and the school, but it’s hard to imagine anyone in the country (except perhaps USC’s Cody Kessler) being able to beat a healthy Miller in a quarterback competition.
Both Barrett and Jones are talented enough to lead the Buckeyes back to the title game, but it’s hard to believe that the Buckeyes wouldn’t be better off with the two-time Big Ten offensive player of the year under center. Both players lack the experience that Miller had, and last year both were thrust into the starting gig unexpectedly.
This year, opponents will have more time and more film to study. This means that whichever guy wins the starting job this season will likely have to elevate his game if the Buckeyes are going to live up to expectations and return to the playoff.
