The Ohio State Buckeyes were written off for dead last August when then starting quarterback Braxton Miller was lost for the season due to an injury sustained in practice. Backup J.T. Barrett struggled early on, and when the Buckeyes lost at home to a very mediocre Virginia Tech team, OSU was figured down and out as far as any championship aspirations.
But, from that point on, Barrett and the Buckeyes caught fire to finish 11-1 and as champions of the Big Ten East. Barrett progressed to the point of being mentioned as a Heisman Trophy candidate before suffering a broken ankle against Michigan on Saturday. Now that Barrett is sidelined, Ohio State must enter Saturday’s Big Ten Championship Game against Wisconsin with sophomore third string QB Cardale Jones at the controls.
A B1G Loss for a B1G Game
“We lost a Heisman candidate today,” said head coach Urban Meyer in regards to Barrett’s injury. The stakes could not be higher for not only Ohio State but for the beleaguered Big Ten Conference. Ohio State is considered to be Final Four playoff material but must beat Wisconsin, perhaps convincingly, to get an invite from the playoff committee. Beyond that there is concern that with Barrett out the committee will consider that as a negative in voting out the Bucks for a healthier alternative.
Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany is among the most powerful leaders in college sports but his league has been so mediocre in football with only Ohio State resembling anything close to a national power team. Delany desperately needs Ohio State in the Final Four playoff for the sake of Big Ten football credibility.
More than Barrett
The good news is that Ohio State was hardly a one man team with Barrett. The Buckeyes ranks fifth in the nation for scoring offense based on a rushing attack that ranks fifth nationally. Running back Ezekiel Elliott has 1182 yards and 6.0 yards per carry with 10 touchdowns heading into this weekend’s game. The defense has shown marked improvement from last year and ranks 19th overall in the nation.
In Mourning
To further complicate matter for Meyer and the Buckeyes they learned that Kosta Karageorge, a defensive tackle who had been missing since Wednesday, was found dead on Sunday due to an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Meyer will be facing one of the greatest challenges in his coaching career this week. Still, we see him leading his resilient Buckeyes to a win and Final Four playoff spot.
