J.T. Barrett Named Ohio State's Starting QB vs. Rutgers over Cardale Jones

Cardale Jones has never lost a game as the starting quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes, but he took a loss Tuesday in the team's ongoing quarterback battle.

Coach Urban Meyer named J.T. Barrett the starting signal-caller for the Scarlet and Gray's game against Rutgers on Saturday, per Ben Axelrod of Bleacher Report.

Meyer said he's "not necessarily" at peace with the decision because he respects both players, per Bill Rabinowitz of the Columbus Dispatch.

"What goes on between the players is between us. There's disappointment [with Jones], but they're grown men," Meyer said when asked about the two players' reactions to the decision, per Rabinowitz.

While the Buckeyes are undefeated after seven games (all of which Jones started), the offense operated at a much more efficient level the past two weeks when Barrett took the snaps.

Matt Miller of Bleacher Report noted he'd already taken Jones out of his top 100 for the 2016 NFL draft prior to Meyer's announcement Tuesday.

Barrett entered the Maryland contest whenever Ohio State reached the red zone and served as the theoretical closer for drives, but he completely took over in the second half of Saturday's victory over Penn State.

Barrett ran for 102 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries and threw for two more scores against the Nittany Lions, clearly doing enough to convince the coaching staff he was worthy of the starting role.

The 38-10 win over Penn State was arguably the best the defending national champions have looked all season, and Barrett was a major reason why. He also directed touchdown efforts on all five of his red-zone trips against the Terrapins.

Here is a look at his total statistical production from the past two games:

Carries	Rushing Yards	Completions	Passing Yards	Total Touchdowns
23	164	6-of-6	56	7

ESPN.com's Danny Kanell believes Barrett is the best option for the Buckeyes moving forward as they look to defend their crown, while ESPN Stats & Info and ESPN.com's Joe Schad put Barrett's red-zone performance into perspective:

While Meyer did not name a starter during his Monday press conference, he alluded to the fact Barrett finally did enough to take over the reins, per Tim Shoemaker of Eleven Warriors:

"

[Barrett] certainly had an opportunity earlier in the year and did not do it; same thing with training camp. Anyone who watched the game the last two weeks, he gets in—and I think we're doing a good job calling things that he's good at.

I see the same thing that you see.

"

It is not as if Barrett suddenly became a dangerous playmaker over the past two outings. He is the defending Big Ten Player of the Year who completed 64.7 percent of his passes for 2,834 yards and 34 touchdowns last season. He also ran for 938 yards and 11 more scores as a true dual threat in Meyer's offense and remained in the Heisman Trophy race until he broke his ankle in the final regular-season game.

Despite last year's efficient passing numbers, Barrett's pure speed and ability to run the read-option are what separate him from Jones. Kyle Jones of Eleven Warriors broke down how important that skill set was against the Nittany Lions:

"

Barrett's presence as a runner proved to be the difference entirely, changing the math for the OSU blocking schemes.

Instead of trying to block eight defenders with seven men, Ohio State would only attempt to block seven, leaving Barrett to handle the eighth man with a simple read. On the game's first touchdown, right end Curtis Cothran (#52) was intentionally left unblocked as the option man, and would make a bee-line straight for [Ezekiel] Elliott. Cothran's aggressiveness would leave his gap wide open, allowing the quarterback to waltz into the end zone behind a pair of blocks from his tight ends.

"

With running back Ezekiel Elliott, the true star of the Buckeyes offense and one of the best players in the country, as Barrett's running mate, the read-option will likely continue to prove lethal in Columbus this season.

Jones will forever live in Buckeye lore for his performances against Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon after Barrett's injury that helped Ohio State win the national championship. Still, he has not produced the same numbers this season. In fact, Jones has seven touchdowns and five interceptions on the campaign and failed to throw for 100 yards against the Nittany Lions.

He has also largely been a non-factor in the rushing attack with 2.6 yards per carry.

Jones' biggest strength is his ability to heave the ball downfield and beat defenses over the top, but the Buckeyes simply don't have the deep threats at wide receiver to exploit that talent like they did last year. Ohio State is missing Devin Smith from the championship team in particular, and speedster Corey Smith is out for the season with a leg injury.

What’s more, Noah Brown is out for the year with a leg injury, and Dontre Wilson and Parris Campbell are both banged up as well. The receiving corps is dangerously thin at Ohio State, which hampered Jones' productivity against Penn State.

That leaves the Buckeyes with a run-first offense, which fits Barrett's style of play.