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Unless another incoming sensation shakes up the already sensational QB depth chart of the Ohio State Buckeyes, expect J.T. Barrett to make first claim to the throne.
He may not be a nose tackle exploder like Cardale Jones and he might not be quite the dextrous play extender that Braxton Miller is, but when you compare the three, realize that one should be leaving (Miller), and account for the rapid revision Jones took to the narrative, it should leave you with the impression that it’s Barrett’s job to lose.
One misplaced ankle under a half-ton of Michigan Wolverines‘ linemen was all that kept Barrett from ultimate Heisman consideration in 2014. We can’t assume Barrett would have led Ohio State to a national title, but we can say Jones did his best job of muddying the memory of Barrett’s body of work — a brief portfolio which included the new Big Ten record for touchdowns.
Barrett has beaten out Jones for the job before, and you better believe he’s amply motivated to do it again. When Barrett resumes reps in August, it’ll be not about just winning the job, but realigning expectations he created in the first place, before it all came to an awkward halt when his tibia touched turf against Michigan.
Jones made spectacular plays in college football’s biggest spectacle, but so did Ezekiel Elliott and Devin Smith. Stepping up against the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Oregon Ducks was the result of a combined and cumulative effort, beginning with Urban Meyer, working through Barrett and capped off by Jones in January.
The bottom line for Barrett may not carry the gravity it does for Jones, as Jones holds one fewer year of eligibility, but that’s also what makes this a fascinating competition. It’s one that I believe Barrett will win — for a second time.
Jerry Landry is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jerry2Landry, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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