COLUMBUS, Ohio — Just when it appeared the Ohio State quarterback situation was settled, the pot was stirred again with the one-game suspension of starter J.T. Barrett after an OVI arrest early Saturday morning near campus.
With Barrett on the sideline this week because of his transgression, Cardale Jones returns as the starter. Jones had the starting job for the first seven games of the season and then lost it to Barrett because the Buckeyes were having trouble producing points in the red zone.
They seemed to have that problem solved with Barrett behind center, but now they’ll find out whether Jones can be more productive running the offense, particularly in the red zone, when top-ranked Ohio State (8-0, 4-0) takes on Minnesota (4-4, 1-3) in a Big Ten game on Saturday night in Ohio Stadium (8 p.m. ET, ABC).
“Cardale had a great week of practice last week,” Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said. “He’s engaged. He handled everything like a man. He threw for 300 yards a couple of weeks ago at a 75 percent clip. He’s 10-0 as a starter. That’s not even a hesitation.”
Adding to the intrigue this week is the possibility of converted H-back Braxton Miller lining up at quarterback again. A three-year starter at the position until two shoulder surgeries forced him to change positions this year, Miller is healthy enough to throw the ball and could be used behind center if Jones gets hurt or falters.
Miller has lined up behind center in the Wildcat formation on occasion this year but has yet to attempt a pass. Meyer said there’s no question that Miller, a two-time Big Ten player of the year before sitting out last season because of the shoulder injury, is the No. 2 quarterback this week.
“I think almost every game he has a package of quarterback plays,” Meyer said. “It’s just a matter of fact: He can throw; how prepared is he to throw. So we’re going to work on that this week as well and get him ready to go.”
Miller is prepared to jump in at quarterback if called upon. The fifth-year senior has yet to throw a pass this season but has rushed for 219 yards on 30 carries and caught 19 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns in eight games.
“He’s completely healed and he’s medically able to go,” co-offensive coordinator and assistant head coach Ed Warinner said. “So we’re confident that he will do whatever he needs to do to help us win a game.
“Whatever we have to do to use Braxton Miller to win a game, he’ll do it, and he’s in here getting ready. Kid loves Ohio State football and is a team guy, so we’re confident that when his number is called, he will be ready.”
Ohio State is coming off a bye week after routing Rutgers 49-7 on Oct. 24 behind Barrett and a dominant defense. The Buckeyes enter the game against Minnesota as a three-touchdown favorite while riding streaks of 21 straight victories overall and 28 in a row in the Big Ten. They can tie an NCAA record set by Florida State (1992-95) for consecutive conference wins.
Minnesota hasn’t had much success against Ohio State, beating the Buckeyes only once (in 2000) since 1981, and is at .500 this season after several years of upward mobility under Jerry Kill. Last week, Kill announced his resignation because of ongoing healthy issues and several days later the Gophers nearly knocked off Michigan, losing 29-26 after coming up short from inside the 1-yard line on the final play of the game.
“I think that they played their best game,” Meyer said. “They were very inspired. They played tremendous in that game on both sides of the ball against a very good team. So I think they’re an excellent team. They’re hitting their stride right now as well.”
NOTES, QUOTES
PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB Cardale Jones will have all eyes on him Saturday night when he starts against Minnesota. He watched from the sideline as J.T. Barrett took over as the starting quarterback in Ohio State’s last game before its bye week and led a 49-7 win at Rutgers on Oct. 24. Now the job goes back to Jones after Barrett’s one-game suspension for OVI. The redshirt junior is 10-0 as a starter in his career, but the knock on Jones this year is his red-zone production, which ultimately led to coach Urban Meyer naming Barrett the starter. Whether Jones can improve his efficiency in running the offense, particularly finishing drives, will be a key factor to keep an eye on against the Gophers.
–RB Ezekiel Elliott continues to quietly put together another impressive season. He has been steady but not spectacular enough so far to sway Heisman Trophy voters to elevate him as one of the top candidates. His 1,130 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns top the Big Ten. He’s also the conference leader in all-purpose yards at 162.9 per game. Against Minnesota this week, Elliott likely will extend his streak of 13 games with 100 or more yards rushing. The Gophers are giving up an average of 148.4 yards per game on the ground.
–WR Michael Thomas is Ohio State’s most consistent receiver and big-play threat. He leads the Buckeyes with 35 catches for 536 yards (15.3 yards per reception) and six touchdowns. Two weeks ago against Rutgers, Thomas made five catches for 103 yards and a touchdown. Look for Thomas to beat Minnesota’s secondary for at least one big play on Saturday night.
–LB Raekwon McMillan was named this week as one of the finalists for the Butkus Award. In just his second year at Ohio State and his first year as a full-time starter, McMillan is the Buckeyes’ leading tackler with 74 stops and ranks No. 3 in the Big Ten, averaging 9.2 tackles per game. He has emerged as a leader at middle linebacker on a star-studded defense that includes NFL prospects all over the field, including fellow linebackers Joshua Perry and Darron Lee.
SERIES HISTORY: Ohio State leads Minnesota 44-7 and has won eight straight and 24 of the past 25 games. Last year, the Buckeyes won 31-24 on a bitterly cold day in Minneapolis. The Gophers’ last win in the series was in 2000 in Columbus.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “We want to win this football game, and no obstacle and no speed bump, so to speak, is going to get in our way. And so every coach and every player has to strap it up, and here we go.” — Ohio State assistant head coach and co-offensive coordinator Ed Warinner on preparations for Minnesota without suspended QB J.T. Barrett