Ohio State football | Scarlet and Game Preseason Roundtable “3 and Out”
With the football season only weeks away, there’s no shortage of hot topics throughout Buckeye Nation. For the first time since our Spring Game podcast, the staff of Scarlet and Game weighed in with a collective effort, answering three big questions:
Who do you want to be the starting quarterback: J.T. or Cardale?
Jackson Flickinger: It has to be Jones. We saw how Cardale’s deep passing game can open up the running game in the three games he started. You also may remember he led the Buckeyes to a national championship last year. No disrespect to Barrett, but this is an obvious choice in my eyes.
Brett LaGasse: I think J.T. Barrett should start. He is more careful with the football and has a good balance of athleticism and throwing ability.
Josh Keatley: Cardale Jones would be my starting quarterback for the 2015 season, but I feel confident that J.T. Barrett will be Urban Meyer’s choice heading into the fall. My stance on the QB situation has not wavered since the end of last season, and Jones’ dominant late season run has gotten me excited about his potential both collegiate and in the NFL. Barrett on the other hand is a calm and collected individual for whom Meyer brought in himself to lead this team.
Austin Layton: Hard to go wrong with either guy, but I like Barrett. Sure, Cardale has the cannon arm and runs like a dump truck, but to me J.T. is a more precise passer and able to make consistent throws. The end Cardale put to the year makes a lot of people forget that Barrett had one of the better seasons as a quarterback in the entire country.
How big of an impact are the 4 suspended players going to be for the opener against Virginia Tech?
JF: Ohio State is one of the deepest teams in the country. They showed last year that they are fully capable of overcoming injuries and I don’t think overcoming these suspensions will be any different. The suspensions won’t put the Virginia Tech game in jeopardy.
BL: Losing players to suspension is never easy. Losing a high motor player like Bosa hurts but Darron Lee can help pick up the intensity. The WRs force others to step up against an already good VT secondary. Hokie corner Kendall Fuller is going to give Barrett or Jones a true challenge.
JK: Obviously the loss of Joey Bosa is the most devastating of the four, because he is one of the most dominant players in the nation. Tyquan Lewis, Sam Hubbard, and Darius Slade are all impressive prospects, but Bosa’s production is unmatched. Losing Jalin Marshall and Corey Smith will also hurt, but the talent behind them in Noah Brown, Johnnie Dixon, and James Clark is comparable and a slight game-plan adjustment should mask their loss. The loss of Dontre Wilson feels insignificant and it is just another opportunity he has blown since his time in Columbus.
AL: I really don’t think it’s a huge deal. The three offensive guys are all great talents, but are also guys that I feel can be replaced without much difficulty. There are a lot of capable guys like Curtis Samuel and now Braxton Miller who are dangerous with the ball in their hands. The biggest loss is Joey Bosa, potentially the number one pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. We aren’t losing to the Hokies.
Who is one under-the-radar player you are looking forward to watching this upcoming season?
JF: Noah Brown is my breakout player to watch. With Evan Spencer and Devin Smith now gone, Brown will have a chance to show us what he can do. Don’t be surprised if the true sophomore emerges as one of Cardale’s (or Barrett’s) go to receivers.
BL: Darron Lee isn’t under the radar for Ohio State fans, but he is on the national stage. Lee has the ability to make plays sideline to sideline, all while intimidating offensives. Lee is a smart linebacker that has great instincts and athleticism. He should see his name listed as a top LB in the country.
JK: There are numerous players I am excited to see shine in 2015, but to qualify for under-the-radar I suppose I have to choose back-ups. My number one guy has to be Sam Hubbard, who should see significant time early thanks to the Bosa suspension. He is a bit of a ‘tweener, but has the athleticism to make an impact. On the offensive side I am curious to see what Mike Weber can do. It is going to be a tough road for him to see time with guys like Ezekiel Elliott, Curtis Samuel, and Bri’onte Dunn in front of him, but he should receive touches in garbage time and excite fans about the future.
AL: A lot of casual media sources will tout guys like Raekwon McMillan as being “breakout”; but any real Buckeye fan knows that he broke out last year. I agree with Jackson that Noah Brown is primed to shine. For the sake of being different, I’ll also bring up Terry McLaurin, a redshirt wideout from Indianapolis. He was a four-star recruit and is a speedster. It’s hard for me to limit myself to just one answer to this question (a question that I came up with), so I will also give you Jalyn Holmes on the defensive line. Holmes played a bit last season, but figures to start this year and has reportedly added 25 pounds of bulk.
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