INDIANAPOLIS - Cardale Jones paced the Ohio State sideline, smiling and slapping hands with his teammates. Moments earlier, he faced a defender barreling down on him as he delivered a 44-yard arcing touchdown pass that his receiver caught in stride.
It was the type of throw that required a combination of great arm strength, the right amount of touch, and enough guts - a play expected of Braxton Miller or even J. T. Barrett, but not of Jones, the Buckeyes' third-string quarterback.
Ohio State lost Miller, its starting quarterback and a Heisman Trophy contender, to injury just before the season. It then lost Barrett, his replacement and another Heisman contender, to a broken ankle in the regular-season finale. So it was left to Jones, in his first career start, to lead the Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship game Saturday night, and that beautiful, long throw essentially announced that the game was over when Devin Smith caught the pass for a touchdown and the Buckeyes extended their lead by 24 points.
There were more than 11 minutes left in the second quarter.
If the College Football Playoff selection committee harbored any doubts about the absence of Barrett on Ohio State, ranked fifth by the committee, Jones answered them loud and clear with a 59-0 drubbing of 13th-ranked Wisconsin.
Jones was 12 of 17 passing for 257 yards and three touchdowns.
The committee must decide how much stock to place in this win and where to slot the Buckeyes in the postseason picture. Consider the Buckeyes' résumé: they won the Big Ten with a 12-1 record; they beat two ranked teams on the road (Michigan State and Minnesota); and they dominated Wisconsin here in thorough and exhausting fashion. Their lone blemish was a loss to Virginia Tech in September, when Barrett was still getting his bearings.
The Buckeyes' chance to jump into the top four, though, likely depends on how the committee views the Big Ten, and if it feels the Buckeyes are more worthy than the two one-loss teams from the Big 12 - Baylor and Texas Christian.
Jones's play might have been the Buckeyes' best argument yet that they deserve one of the semifinal spots.
At 6 feet 5 inches and 250 pounds, Jones has a larger frame than Miller or Barrett. He is as fast as either of them and it was said to have a stronger arm.
Jones, a redshirt sophomore, was ahead of Barrett on the depth chart throughout spring practice and into the first few weeks of fall camp. Barrett seized the job when Miller was hurt and went on to break Drew Brees' Big Ten record for total touchdowns in a season.
'I honestly feel like if I wasn't starting this year, Cardale would've done the same things I did this year,' Barrett told reporters this week. 'Cardale is that talented.'
Ohio State Coach Urban Meyer and Tom Herman, the offensive coordinator, also contended that the Buckeyes had enough talent and experience around Jones that the foundation was set for him to succeed.
'The quarterback doesn't have to win games for us anymore,' Herman had said after Ohio States win over Michigan last weekend. 'The quarterback has to manage games, distribute the football, and lead.'
The Buckeyes showed just how much depth they have Saturday. Running back Ezekiel Elliott, was relatively untouched on two touchdown runs, of 81 yards and 14 yards. The Ohio State offensive line routinely gave Jones plenty of time to throw. Smith finished with four catches, for 137 yards, and three touchdowns.
If Wisconsin had any chance, it would have to rely on Melvin Gordon, their own Heisman contender, who was perhaps the best running back in college football.
Gordon had already broken Ron Dayne's Big Ten record for rushing yards in a season. He ran for 408 yards against Nebraska, breaking the football bowl subdivision record for rushing yards in a game - and he sat out the fourth quarter. (His record was broken the next week.)
But the Buckeyes smothered Gordon like they knew where he was going. They held him to 76 yards on 26 carries, in arguably his worst game of the season.
Leading the charge every time, it seemed, was Michael Bennett, the defensive end who wore the jersey No. 53, in honor of teammate, Kosta Karageorge, who was found dead last Sunday of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. About 60 football players had attended his funeral on Wednesday.
It had been a long week for the Buckeyes leading to this game. But they looked energized more than drained. Just before halftime Bennett met Gordon as he tried to rush into the heart of the Buckeyes defensive line. Bennett punched the ball loose, and Gordon lay on the ground as defensive end Joey Bosa grabbed the ball and returned it for a touchdown to extend the lead to 38-0.
Ohio State was just getting started.
Posted by Unknown on Saturday, December 6, 2014 - Rating: 4.5
0 comments "Buckeyes Capture Big Ten, Bolstering Playoff Hopes"
Post a Comment