Will Ohio State's Week 1 QB Starter Be Same as Bowl Game Starter?

By now, you're likely familiar with the unique competition between Ohio State Buckeyes quarterbacks J.T. Barrett, Cardale Jones and Braxton Miller. The Buckeyes have started all three with incredible results and could win another national title with any of them.

The primary question to date has revolved around which one of the three will start in Week 1. We likely won't know that answer until deep into preseason camp.

The question that hasn't been asked as often is whether that same player will start in the bowl game (assuming, of course, that things don't go awry and Ohio State makes it to the postseason).

To answer that, let's revisit what led to Ohio State's improbable national championship run last year.

Barrett replaced Miller, the incumbent starter who was lost for the season because of a lingering shoulder injury, and went on to win 10 of his first 11 games. Barrett then sustained a season-ending ankle injury against Michigan, putting Jones at the top of the depth chart. All Jones did was help lead Ohio State to a Big Ten title, Sugar Bowl win and national championship.

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The irony of it all is that we found out just how fortunate the Buckeyes were through a series of misfortunes. In no other way would head coach Urban Meyer have known that he had three quarterbacks who could play at that level.

So for 2015, we ask ourselves this: Will Ohio State experience the same level of injury-related bad luck as it did a year ago? Because that's the way two separate quarterbacks start in Week 1 and the bowl game.

The other possible way is if someone—say, for the sake of conversation, Jones—starts in Week 1 and gets benched at some point through the season.

Do you see that happening? Me neither. Additionally, as of March, Meyer has all but officially ruled out playing two quarterbacks. That would take care of any loophole in which one quarterback technically "starts" in Week 1 and the other "starts" the bowl game.

This brings us back to the more probable situation. Can Ohio State's starting quarterback, whoever it may be, stay healthy for the whole year? Or, at least, could the injured player return for the postseason?

Otherwise, there's a legitimate case to be made that the Buckeyes quarterbacks are snakebitten, even if it's not in the traditional sense. To lose even one quarterback to yet another season-ending injury would be unreal.

It wasn't on display in 2014 because Miller and Barrett were unable to return, but there is a pecking order to the quarterback depth chart that Meyer stands by. In an interview with Austin Ward of ESPN.com, Jones explains that, in some ways, he still feels like the No. 3 guy:

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We as a team and me as an individual get a lot of praise for how well we did in those games, but I didn’t even grade out as a champion as far as coach’s standards. I haven’t proven anything yet. I haven’t proven anything to myself, my teammates, my coaches to label myself as a starter. That’s my opinion, my personal opinion.

I’m kind of harder on myself than the coaches, but I was thrown into that position. I didn’t beat out J.T. [Barrett] going into the Michigan game. I didn’t beat out Braxton [Miller]. Unfortunately both guys got hurt, and luckily enough I was prepared to try to take advantage of the situation.

"

If Miller was able to return from injury, he would have. The same thing applies to Barrett. Thus, if any starting quarterback for Ohio State is able to return from injury in 2015, you'd have to think he would.

Speaking of which, Alex Gleitman of 247Sports reports that Miller has been "fully cleared to throw the football as of this past Monday (June 8) with no limitations on his surgically repaired shoulder." This marks the first time in well over a year that Miller has been 100 percent.

Interestingly, the report also states "sources contributing to this report believe that the job is 'Miller's to lose' granted he is fully healthy and performing as expected."

With Barrett expected to be a full go in time for preseason camp as well, all three of Ohio State's primary quarterbacks will be healthy for the first time in a long while. Can whoever wins the job stay that way? 

The odds of the Buckeyes being that unlucky again seem low.

Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand.