2015 Game #6 -|- #1 Ohio State vs. Maryland -|- October 10th, 2015 @ 12 PM

[Rich]

So we get to panic now master?

No, no of course not. They weren't ready for a running QB and Maryland was playing their hearts our for their coach, you know?

 

[EdMonix11]

I love how fast the offense is with JT. He needs to be the QB for this team.

No chance. Urban showed just how much better of a QUARTERBACK he thinks Cardale is today by making JT a designated runner in the red zone.

I truly feel bad for both guys, though. Cardale has NFL talent, legitimately, and he's the vastly superior thrower. JT doesn't have that talent, or probably even an NFL QB future, but he's a better fit for the offense that Ohio State wants to run.

Teams are stacking the box to stop Elliott so they need Cardale's arm under center but I don't think the Ohio State playbook really allows Cardale to flourish because it's so read-option/spread heavy. So the end result is an indecisive Cardale, JT not being able to throw over the defense and that's basically what we've seen. Now, with JT in the red zone, we can utilize more of the skills each player brings. I don't like the two-QB system at all, and I don't think it lasts much longer, but I don't think JT is the answer as QB-1; he's just not the thrower they need at the position right now.

 

[Ohio]

but I don't think JT is the answer as QB-1; he's just not the thrower they need at the position right now.

He set records as a freshman playing QB full time...what are you talking about.

Cardale brings nothing to the table that JT can't do...for this team and this offense. JT, on the other hand, does several things that Cardale can't do for this offense.

I don't care that Cardale is the better overall QB and NFL prospect. I care about winning games and THIS team/offense is better suited for JT. Cardale's strong arm has been borderline meaningless as we have nobody for him to throw the ball deep to.

 

[Chris]

Buzzkill season so far. I just can't shake the feeling that they're playing on borrowed time.

 

[Real Deal]

I think we have one win against the spread

 

[NorthCoastBias]

Gotta love handwringing after a 21 point win.

The offense looks like it's finally on track. Defense needs to clean it up a little bit, but they have the talent and coaching necessary to improve.

 

[Rich]

Urban's offense made Tim Tebow one of the greatest college players of all time and Ed is arguing this offense needs a QB with a big arm? You don't think they were loading up the box on Tebow?

 

[Chris]

Gotta love handwringing after a 21 point win.

The offense looks like it's finally on track. Defense needs to clean it up a little bit, but they have the talent and coaching necessary to improve.

Its Maryland.

Man Michigan is looking solid.

 

[Jordan]

Cardale's arm isn't working well this season. It's very strong, but as others have said, he has nobody to throw to. He has a quick release and plays very well under pressure, but so does JT. The big difference here is Cardale is a better medium and long range passer than JT. So for NFL prospects, hell yes Cardale is a better QB, but not necessarily for this team. We run an offense that is moving further and further away from typical NFL offenses, and are doing so with great success.

It may really be time to give JT a full week of practice as the #1 and see how he does; or, we continue to run the type of two QB offense we did today. I'm okay with either, and if Cardale starts making more accurate passes and touchdowns, I would even be okay with him playing 100% of snaps; but, using this season as evidence, I don't see that happening. Hope he regains last season's magic, though, it would be great for the team.

EDIT: I do realize Cardale played very well today. That's why I lean with running the two QB system like we did today from here on out. But, if we won't, I think JT may deserve to start.

 

[EdMonix11]

He set records as a freshman playing QB full time...what are you talking about.

Cardale brings nothing to the table that JT can't do...for this team and this offense. JT, on the other hand, does several things that Cardale can't do for this offense.

I don't care that Cardale is the better overall QB and NFL prospect. I care about winning games and THIS team/offense is better suited for JT. Cardale's strong arm has been borderline meaningless as we have nobody for him to throw the ball deep to.

Yeah, but that was last year and he's struggling throwing all those bubble screens to the sideline and 5-10 yard curl/out routes THIS YEAR-- and those are the types of plays he lived off of last year. I hate how people constantly say stuff like we don't have the deep threat like last year so Cardale can't be effective yet nobody mentions that those same receivers that we had last year that helped JT set records are gone too.

I'm not even a HUGE Cardale fan, either. It just spoke volumes to me that Urban didn't let JT throw more than twice (one of which should've been picked but got a PI call on the under-throw in the end zone). All I'm saying is just because JT rushed the ball 12 times inside the red zone, I'm not ready to anoint him to be anything-- he was in there for his legs.

 

[Jordan]

Yeah, but that was last year and he's struggling throwing all those bubble screens to the sideline and 5-10 yard curl/out routes THIS YEAR-- and those are the types of plays he lived off of last year. I hate how people constantly say stuff like we don't have the deep threat like last year so Cardale can't be effective yet nobody mentions that those same receivers that we had last year that helped JT set records are gone too.

I'm not even a HUGE Cardale fan, either. It just spoke volumes to me that Urban didn't let JT throw more than twice (one of which should've been picked but got a PI call on the under-throw in the end zone). All I'm saying is just because JT rushed the ball 12 times inside the red zone, I'm not ready to anoint him to be anything-- he was in there for his legs.

Yeah, I happen to agree with this. But something else seems up with both QBs. JT's bread and butter last year were short, dink and dunk passes, and running the ball. He still is an amazing runner (see today as evidence) but his short passes have been really inconsistent. Cardale's strengths last year were his huge arm, physical presence, and ability to throw under pressure. Obviously the physical presence is still there -- albeit, teams have adjusted --, and he still has been good at throwing under pressure, but the accuracy on his medium and long passes has gone to shit.

All of this is why I think part of the blame belongs on the new coordinator. That and maybe a bit of complacency in our two QBs. I just think JT showed today that he deserves to play planned, meaningful minutes, even if it is just as a redzone QB. And the more I think about it, Cardale demonstrated his value just as much.

 

[Ohio]

Yeah, but that was last year and he's struggling throwing all those bubble screens to the sideline and 5-10 yard curl/out routes THIS YEAR

Is he? I've seen him get thrown in during the middle of a game with little to no practice with the starters. Sorry, not judging him on that. He deserves a real opportunity after today, which is a week of practice with the 1st team and a start. I think we'd see better results from him from a passing standpoint.

I hate how people constantly say stuff like we don't have the deep threat like last year so Cardale can't be effective yet nobody mentions that those same receivers that we had last year that helped JT set records are gone too.

Cardale's effectiveness is directly correlated with those receivers, because he's not a good runner. JT can still be effective because of his ability to run the ball, run the zone read, and run the offense quickly. Cardale has done none of those things this season.

I'm not even a HUGE Cardale fan, either. It just spoke volumes to me that Urban didn't let JT throw more than twice (one of which should've been picked but got a PI call on the under-throw in the end zone). All I'm saying is just because JT rushed the ball 12 times inside the red zone, I'm not ready to anoint him to be anything-- he was in there for his legs.

Urban shouldn't have let him throw more, because, WE DIDN'T NEED TO! Before this season, our running attack was absolutely unstoppable just as it was today with JT taking the snaps. Don't fix what's not broken. They couldn't stop our running attack with him at QB. If/when the defense would over commit, that opens up the passing game. The running game has been the cornerstone of our offense in the Urban era, but it is being held back this season with Cardale at QB. Thus holding back the entire offense.

And for the record, I am a Cardale fan. I think he played his best game of the season today. He helped us win a National Championship. But I'm a JT fan too. But this isn't about any of that. It is about playing the guy that best helps the team win games, that's all I care about.

 

[col63onel]

That's awesome. He played great today.

This is a running and short/intermediate passing offense. We don't have the personnel at WR for deep balls anymore. JT has to be the guy, I've never been more convinced than I am right now. It's not Cardale's fault, this offense/team is better suited for JT.

QB runs. Zone reads. Quick snaps. This is Ohio State. All of which JT is vastly superior. That's why he's playing in the redzone, and why he should be playing full time. If Cardale had a WR to stretch the field with, I might feel differently.

That's supposing Urban can't modify his offense to fit his personnel.

Cardale is a unique talent and not playing him just because "he doesn't fit your offense" is the mark of a bad coach.

 

[Rich]

That's supposing Urban can't modify his offense to fit his personnel.

Cardale is a unique talent and not playing him just because "he doesn't fit your offense" is the mark of a bad coach.

So if JT Barrett never gets hurt and Cardale never starts, then I guess Urban Meyer would be a bad coach for not playing this "unique" talent over Barrett, it's just you wouldn't know about it?

Frankly, if that makes him a bad coach, who cares. He's a bad coach who wins a ton and recruits as well as anyone. That's plenty enough for me.

EDIT: My point is, if Urban is a bad coach because he doesn't want to change his offense to fit Cardale Jones now, then he was a bad coach last year when he decided to move Barrett ahead of Jones in the depth chart and start him after Braxton got hurt.

 

[Ohio]

That's supposing Urban can't modify his offense to fit his personnel.

Cardale is a unique talent and not playing him just because "he doesn't fit your offense" is the mark of a bad coach.

The answer today was playing JT when it mattered most. We all saw the results. He modified his offense by modifying his personnel.