Urban Meyer may have officially made a quarterback switch, but he is not going to say that there are problems within his program.
Meyer, whose Buckeyes are 7-0 this season and have a 20-game winning streak dating back to last season, decided to name JT Barrett his starting quarterback over Cardale Jones. Despite the change, Meyer believes his team is in good shape. He wouldn’t succumb to any negativity suggested by the media Wednesday when it came to the switch.
“Why didn’t things work out? They’re working out OK. I’m not panicking, and he’s fine,” Meyer said of Jones Wednesday when faced with questions, via Northeast Ohio Media Group. “He’s got to get better and work on his game. I hear a question, ‘What’s wrong with Ohio State, why aren’t things working out?’ Everything’s fine. We’re just trying to get a little better each week and win a game, win number eight. That’s all our focus is.”
Meyer cited Jones’ 10-0 record as a starter in defending his benched quarterback. He said part of the reason for the switch to Barrett is he his looking for more consistency.
“I think we played our best game Saturday, not necessarily throwing, but it was one of the best games the last four years,” Meyer said. “To score 38 points against that team and run for 350 yards and I hear, ‘What’s wrong with the offense?’ That’s one of those, ‘What did you just say?’ What’s wrong with the offense? The offense is great.”
It seems that Meyer and the Buckeyes are victims of their own success. They looked so good winning the national championship last year that if they’re not winning every game by 50, fans think they’re underachieving. That’s what happens when you score at least 42 points in all but two games following the loss to Virginia Tech last year, including whooping Wisconsin 59-0 and then putting up huge games against Alabama and Oregon.
Though they’ve had close calls against Northern Illinois and Indiana, the bottom line is that Ohio State is still undefeated. Even if they’re not blowing out each opponent, I know that’s the team I wouldn’t want to face in the playoffs.
