Urban Meyer’s mishandling of Ohio State’s quarterback competition has put both Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett in a position to fail, and will ultimately cost the Buckeyes a chance to win the national championship this season.

What a nightmare that scenario would be if it were true – or if I actually believed it. The mere thought of that statement ringing true seems so sacrilegious given Meyer’s track record, but it’s one that will scare me until the team proves that is fully capable of playing up to its own lofty expectations. While it seems like an outrageous criticism for a man of Meyer’s stature and expertise, no matter what any OSU fan says, the fact remains that it could be true. I’m afraid that the wrong decision was made in the quarterback derby, and that Ohio State will suffer the consequences through what otherwise could have been a dream season as repeat national champions.

It sounds strange, but what if Cardale Jones is only capable of performing well in big “marquee” games – more specifically, night games in indoor stadiums that are on neutral sites? What if Jones lacks the attention to detail, focus, and dedication to his craft to be an every-week starter over the course of 15 weeks? I’m afraid that 12-Guage was only able to run rampant through Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon simply because they underestimated him and didn’t have enough film to produce a full scouting report on him.

Likewise, what if Meyer’s selection of Jones – and the bulk of practice repetitions that go along with being named the starting quarterback – has caused J.T. Barrett’s development at the position to actually regress? What if Barrett – more a cerebral tactician on the field than a physically gifted phenom –  needs an abundance of game reps and practice reps to maximize his potential, and otherwise sees some of his precision and skill fade to rust and a pressure to make the big play. I’m afraid that Meyer electing to pass on Barrett, who broke Drew Brees’ record for touchdowns in a season, is wasting a year of his development and stunting the Buckeyes’ overall growth for the next two seasons at the same time.

I just can’t get over how smooth and poised Barrett looked directing the offense for the majority of the 2014 season – to the point that I proclaimed that I was on “Team J.T.” over Braxton Miller – compared to how shaky he’s looked in his limited action in 2015. I’ve also been discouraged by how much less stellar Jones has looked in 2015 as a full-time starter, compared to his legendary postseason run last season. Is it a coincidence, or did Meyer accidentally stymie his own offensive potential by placing both Jones and Barrett in a respective position that benefits the team the least?

I know, conventional online message board wisdom will point out my lack of head coaching experience and championship rings in comparison to Meyer, as well as my absence from daily practice sessions that he orchestrates. I don’t want to belittle his decision making, as I am fully confident and ecstatic about his ability to lead this program, both on and off the field. I just can’t help but fear that he may have been wrong, and simultaneously prevented the team from winning the championship for the next two seasons.

As is the case with every season, it’s important that Ohio State give the team time to find its identity and develop chemistry. It was unrealistic to expect an unbeatable juggernaut right out of the gates. I just hope that the lack of offensive consistency is the sign of a team slowly but steadily finding its groove, as opposed to coaching decision that is preventing the team from being as good as it could be.

Here’s the Open Thread for the Buckeye’s tilt against Western Michigan University.

Some notable games today at noon:

Urban Meyer is, according to the only other man anyone would consider for the title, “the best college coach right now in football.” Those are Nick Saban’s exact words. Although to be fair, he said that on GameDay last week before Ohio State turned in what Meyer called “one of the worst-executed performances since we’ve been here.” He wasn’t just talking about the players; Meyer is the type of person who, if you were to invite him to your house and sucker punch him at the front door, would blame himself for not expecting it. He also has an unimpeachable track record of quickly turning setback into progress, so if you think you’re going to get another jab in, he will make you pay.

While there are a number of issues contributing to the uncharacteristic lack of offensive production, the foremost in everyone’s mind is the quarterback situation. To say that it’s been a rollercoaster ride would be both a cliché that I am better than and also an entirely accurate metaphor. Neither starter Cardale Jones nor backup J.T. Barrett has been impressive since week one. It’s enough to furrow the brow of even the most optimistic fan, except: week one. Both QBs looked great against Virginia Tech in the opener and have inexplicably regressed in the following two games.

Jim Harbaugh has no doubts about his quarterback. Jake Rudock has not performed well in any of the three games so far, yet there doesn’t seem to be any significant challenger behind him. One could argue that this is actually a preferable position to be in, and it probably is, if your team isn’t shouldering the expectations that come with returning a large percentage of a national championship team and being the first-ever consensus #1 team in the pre-season AP poll.

Harbaugh has the luxury of being a slam-dunk hire at a top-notch program coming off an extended period of poor performance. Every win is another Reese’s in his plastic pumpkin bucket. When you have no expectations, your confidence can’t be shaken. Michigan’s 2-1 record is viewed as an improvement, despite being exactly the same as last year. (In fact, the Wolverines haven’t started worse than 2-1 since 2008, when they only won three games all year.)

And for all the indecision Meyer seems to be having about his quarterbacks, one thing still hasn’t changed: Jones will start again today, for the seventh consecutive game. He is currently 6-0 as a starter, although it’s difficult to credit him for the NIU win. Many fans are disappointed by this decision, and you can’t really blame them. It’s a pretty typical reaction when the starting QB is struggling, even when the backup didn’t finish fifth in Heisman voting the previous year.

But if you can’t have confidence in a three-time national championship coach who has won 93% of the games he’s coached at Ohio State, then who exactly is going to earn your trust? Consider the stats of Barrett, Jones, and Rudock so far this year:

A. 56.5% completion, 7.3 yards/attempt, 118.82 rating
B. 64.8% completion, 6.4 yards/attempt, 118.46 rating
C. 57.1% completion, 5.5 yards/attempt, 116.61 rating

A is Cardale Jones. J.T. Barrett is C. Yet, I’m pretty sure Urban isn’t lying awake at night, cursing the heavens that he doesn’t have Jake Rudock on his roster.

An area where both teams (and fan bases) can find an abundance of confidence is the defensive side of the ball. Northern Illinois’ Drew Hare threw for around 360 yards in each of his first two games, but only managed 80 against Ohio State. Similarly, Michigan stifled the UNLV running game, which had put up respectable if not stellar numbers in their first two games. Through three games, both teams rank in the top 15 in yards allowed per carry, and in the top 25 in yards allowed per pass attempt. Overall, Ohio is #3 and Michigan is #7 is yards allowed per play.

Of course, all that really matters is the score, and again both teams do a phenomenal job of keeping their opponents out of the end zone. Ohio State is giving up just 12.3 points per game, good for #11 in the country (tied with Clemson.) Michigan is right behind, giving up 12.7 and sharing the #13 spot with Wisconsin.

Today, Michigan welcomes #22 BYU, fresh off a disappointing 1-point loss to UCLA. A victory in this game could potentially catapult the Wolverines into the top 25. Statistically, BYU doesn’t really excel at anything except game-winning Hail Mary passes. This is a prime opportunity for Michigan to make a statement in a game against a team that is probably overrated.

Ohio State will be hosting Western Michigan and looking to play with the kind of confidence they displayed on Labor Day night, which seems much longer than just 19 days ago. The Broncos only real strong point is their passing attack; QB Zach Terrell has already thrown for 947 yards this year (that’s over 400 more than Ohio State’s QBs) and his backup is Joe Flacco’s brother, who looked decent in limited action against Murray State last week.

The Ohio State Buckeyes will look to settle an under-performing quarterback battle but mainly to improve their record to 4-0 this coming weekend when they take on Western Michigan. Here are the need-to-knows about the game:

When: Saturday, September 26 @ 3:30 pm

Where: Ohio Stadium. Columbus, Ohio

TV: ABC/ESPN2

Spread: Ohio State (-27)

The Western Michigan Broncos bring in a 1-2 record into Columbus in hopes of knocking off an uninspiring Ohio State Buckeyes team who is still struggling to find its starting quarterback.

This is something that Broncos head coach PJ Fleck will be looking to take advantage of in his game plan to stop the Buckeye offense. Interestingly, Fleck knows the Buckeyes well as he was a graduate assistant for OSU in 2006. Fleck played at Northern Illinois as a wide receiver, and he is currently 10-18 in his coaching career at Western Michigan. While earning 2014 MAC Coach of the Year, Fleck made some progress with an 8-5 record, but his team fell to Air Force in the bowl season, 38-24.

Players to Watch

Western Michigan’s aerial attack with star wide-outs Corey Davis and Daniel Braverman should be provide a good test for Buckeye corner-backs Eli Apple and Gareon Conley. Davis and Braverman recorded a combined 164 receptions, 2,405 receiving yards, and 21 touchdowns last season. So far this season, they’re on pace to pass those markers. In the first three games, Davis has tallied 309 yards on 18 receptions with three schools, while Braverman has amassed 398 yards on 40 receptions and also three touchdowns.

The gunslinger for the Broncos is junior quarterback Zach Terrell who has thrown for 947 yards and eight touchdowns so far this season, six of them going to either Davis or Braverman.

For the good guys, it will be intriguing to see who Meyer starts at quarterback, but I would expect to see more of Braxton Miller who was only targeted two or three times in last week’s game against Northern Illinois. I would also keep an eye out for junior h-back and wide receiver Dontre Wilson to fully emerge as a true weapon in the midst of an offense with so many other weapons. Wilson made an impressive appearance, albeit a small one in last week’s game against the Huskies. He recorded three receptions for 20 yards, but he showed the quickness and speed that has been lacking from the offense thus far. Lastly, a true deep threat is still needed for “Zone 6” to replace last year’s Devin Smith, and I expect Johnnie Dixon to have a solid game at the receiver position this week.

Prediction

Western Michigan – 10 / Ohio State 52

This should (hopefully) be the week that the Buckeyes offense explodes and figures themselves out. Even though the starting quarterback is still unknown, I expect either one to get out of their slump. Meyer should correct the offensive struggles out with Warriner and Beck, and the results will be explosive and more reminiscent of the season opener against Virginia Tech.

The defense will remain solid despite giving up one touchdown to the Broncos’ passing attack, and the fans should be able to breathe a sigh of relief before the Buckeyes start their Big Ten Conference slate with Indiana the week after.

For those looking to break the game down with the opposition, you can check out the Broncos Stampede forum.

Two very sluggish and lackluster offfensive performances in a row. Coming off a game that saw starting quarterback Cardale Jones post 4/9 passing for 36 yards, with 2 interceptions, the popular opinion was that J.T. Barrett would claim the starting quarterback spot against Western Michigan.

As is often in life, popular opinion was incorrect. Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer stated that Cardale Jones would still start at quarterback.

While the quarterback decision loomed over the proceedings this week, there are other areas related to Ohio State that must be considered as they take on Western Michigan in Ohio Stadium at 3:30 pm ET on ABC (or ESPN, depending on where you live).

1. Establishing A Consistent Offensive Identity ~ I completely agree with Coach Meyer when he states that “Quarterbacks are product of those around them”. I also believe that in many respects that Ohio State may have an issue with having too many weapons that the coaching staff is trying to incorporate into the offense. If you are not aware of how Meyer came to design his style of the spread option offense, please click on this link to learn about when Coach Meyer was an assistant at Notre Dame, and a painful loss to Nebraska that did not include former Fighting Irish WR David Givens.

What is the point? That in the quest to include playmakers, Ohio State is deviating from what led them to the emphatic victories over Wisconsin, Alabama, and Oregon on their way to the national championship in 2014.

To make Cardale Jones more effective at quarterback, Ohio State needs to be able to run the ball with authority against Western Michigan. Yes, I know Ezekiel Elliott has been running for over 100 yards against Hawaii and Northern Illinois, but the running game has not been nearly as dominant as it was last season in those aforementioned games. Once Ohio State has the dominant running game going, it will open up the passing game for play-action opportunities down the field. Once the running game is going north and south, it will open up the opportunity to run east and west with Braxton Miller or Curtis Samuel out of the wildcat. In case this sounds familiar, it is because I mentioned it earlier this week on our regularly scheduled edition of the Men of the Scarlet and Gray Podcast with Shannon Sommers.

2. Be Patient With Cardale Jones ~ Easier said (or in this case, written) than done. No quarterback can get into a rhythm if they believe they will be pulled after the first time a mistake is made. I was in Ohio Stadium last weekend against Northern Illinois, and the mood was palpable after Jones threw his second interception that Barrett would be entering the game. While I hope and believe Jones will play better than he did against Northern Illinois, it is crucial for Jones’ confidence that he is given the opportunity to go the distance, to squash any chances of a quarterback controversy from growing beyond the point that it already has.

3. “A Lot Of Hope Is Dangerous” ~ If that phrase sounds familiar, props to you for recognizing it. Northern Illinois left Ohio Stadium feeling that the game at Ohio State was winnable, as Ohio State only defeated them 20-13. How does this relate to Western Michigan? It will be important for Ohio State’s psyche to crush the hope of Western Michigan, early and often. Once Ohio State gets a lead, it will be crucial to maintain a level of intensity that has not been seen this season since the opening game victory at Virginia Tech.

Prediction: Look for Ohio State to come out with a focus and intensity after what can only be presumed as a physical week of practice. While I have no idea how Cardale Jones will perform, look for a better game plan that will take the best of Jones’ talents, and the offensive line playing at a level not seen since the opening game. I am going Ohio State 42, Western Michigan 14.

I would be remiss if I did not give many plaudits and compliments to my co-host Shannon Sommers on the Men of the Scarlet and Gray podcast for lining up the esteemed Bill King as a guest. Bill was tremendous in our interview, and if you have not yet heard the podcast, you are really missing out on what was a very informative and fun time.