On Saturday, the 29th of November 2014, the Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the *ichigan Wolverines 42-28....but also suffered a big loss.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Quarterback J.T. Barrett took off running and was tackled awkwardly, his right leg crumpling underneath him. He was carted off the field, leg in an air cast. It was announced later in the evening, the redshirt freshman sensation who was a candidate to win the Heisman Trophy, broke his ankle and would miss the Big Ten Championship Game and any bowl game(s) the Buckeyes would play in.
Before the injury, Barrett threw for one touchdown and ran for two more scores. That gives him an Ohio State record of 34 touchdown passes in a single season, and when you add the 11 rushing touchdowns a Big Ten record of 44 touchdowns responsible for in a single season (former record holder: Drew Brees, Purdue).
Cardale Jones replaces Barrett, and lead the Buckeyes to a TD on a long run by Ezekiel Elliot. The defense also returned a fumble for a touchdown to give you the final Buckeyes total.
It was Meyer's third consecutive win against That Team Up North, still undefeated in The Game.
Jones is now the QB for the remainder of the season, and nobody knows what to expect from him. He doesn't have a lot of experience, this year he is 10/17 for 118 yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions. Last season he was 1/2 for 3 yards, 0 touchdowns and interceptions, he did have a rushing touchdown last season.
Coach Meyer says that Cardale Jones can throw it and throw it well, and he can run too. A lot of people expected Jones to replace Braxton Miller, mostly because many in Ohio knew who he was in part because he played at Glenville High School in Cleveland...the same school that gave the Buckeyes players like Troy Smith, Ted Ginn Jr., and Donte Whitner.
Jones knows the playbook and has been practicing. Nobody knew what to expect from Barrett and many people thought this would be a 3-4 loss season without Miller on the field. Instead, Barrett would have been in New York for the Heisman Trophy Presentation and was likely going to lead the Buckeyes into the inaugural College Football Playoff.
The Buckeyes take on the Wisconsin Badgers next week in the Big Ten Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Buckeyes win this game, they win an outright Big Ten Championship and with that, should be in the College Football Playoff with Mississippi State losing to Ole Miss yesterday. They might not be in the top four this week, but they should be no worse than 5th with TCU in as the fourth team. But an outright conference championship, especially if the offense stays hot with Jones at QB, should give them the edge over TCU to make the final four in the final CFP standings.
Honestly, all the Buckeyes have to do to get into that final four is just....win!
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