Ohio State freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett suffered a right ankle fracture in the second half of the Buckeyes’ 42-28 victory over their hated rival Michigan today. He is scheduled to have surgery tomorrow and he’s done for the season.
And the next guy on the depth chart is……..Cardale Jones! The guy who infamously tweeted: “we ain’t come to play school, classes are pointless”
JT Barrett is hurt.. So guess who’s next up on the depth chart! pic.twitter.com/GvLN6JYzcC
— Max (@MaxwellJohn) November 29, 2014
Jones does have a point. He’s saying what most of us our thinking, and kind of telling it like it is. Consider the irony though: Jim Delaney will now be covertly, but passionately rooting for Cardale Jones in the Big Ten Championship game versus Wisconsin. Delaney, a man who uses the term “student-athlete” like it’s his own last name will be supporting someone who is famous for openly mocking that concept.
Delaney needs the Buckeyes to win badly- they’re the league’s only hope of reaching the inaugural college football playoff. The Buckeyes have a pretty good chance too; provided Cardale Jones can get it done like Barrett did.
Barrett, 11-1 as Ohio State’s starting quarterback after taking over the starting position just 12 days before the opening game of the season (remember Braxton Miller?) had rushed for 89 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 176 yards and another score against the Wolverines.
Barrett finishes his campaign with school record totals of 3,772 total yards and 45 touchdowns responsible for. His touchdowns total is a Big Ten record. He passed for 2,834 yards and a school-record 34 touchdowns and he rushed for an additional 938 yards and 11 touchdowns. He will obviously win the Big Ten freshman of the year award. Although Illini wide receiver Mike Dudek is deserving too.
Now we’ll see what Cardale Jones can do.
Jones was 2-3 passing for 7 yards with 2 rushes for 18 yards today versus UM
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net ,which is partners with Fox Sports. Read his feature stories in the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. Listen to him on KOZN 1620 The Zone. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks). His work has been featured in hundreds of media outlets including The Washington Post and ESPN 2