No More Flip-Flopping: Urban Meyer Must Settle Ohio State's QB Battle

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Following Ohio State's 20-13 win over Northern Illinois Saturday, no Buckeyes quarterback was made available to speak with the media.

At a program like Ohio State, which typically provides three opportunities to talk to players each week, it's tough to read too much into which players are placed in front of reporters and when. But it's rare for a quarterback not to talk after a game, especially a victory played at home.

Maybe the Buckeyes were in a rush to get home, or maybe the marching orders came from the head coach. Or maybe there's another reason neither Cardale Jones nor J.T. Barrett spoke publicly following the Buckeyes' closer-than-expected victory Saturday.

Or maybe the Buckeyes media relations staff simply didn't know which quarterback to grab, seeing as moments prior, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer declined to commit to a No. 1 signal-caller.

"Good question," Meyer responded when asked if he knew who his starting quarterback was. "I don't know that right now. I haven't had time to think about it."

Whether Meyer was being truthful or not is a debate for a different day, and leaving upcoming opponents unsure of who will be starting at the sport's most important position isn't necessarily an unsound strategy.

Despite the similarities in skill sets between Jones and Barrett, any time Western Michigan spends preparing for one before facing the other when it plays Ohio State this week can be considered a win when it comes to the Buckeyes' game-planning.

But through the first three weeks of the season—and especially the last two—it hasn't just been opponents, fans and reporters who have seemed confused by Ohio State's strategy with its quarterbacks. The Buckeyes themselves don't seem to know who their quarterback is, and it's beginning to affect their national championship defense.

Steve Helber/Associated Press

Yes, Ohio State is still undefeated and remains the country's top-ranked team in both polls heading into this weekend's nonconference finale against the Western Michigan Broncos. The Buckeyes defense might be the most talented in the nation, and running back Ezekiel Elliott has rushed for at least 100 yards in each of the past three weeks.

Elliott's play, however, has been the only consistent component of a highly touted Ohio State offense that returned eight starters from last season's title team. And while the offensive line has dealt with inconsistencies of its own through the past three weeks, it's hard not to view the play of the Buckeyes' quarterbacks as somewhat of a red flag.

Just look at how the last three games have played out.

Jones entered the season as Ohio State's starter, overcoming an up-and-down first half against Virginia Tech to help hand the Hokies a 42-24 defeat on their home turf.

The national championship-winning quarterback, however, wouldn't have quite as long of a leash in the second game of the season against Hawaii, as Meyer turned to Barrett in the second quarter after a sloppy start. Meyer then went back to Jones after halftime in what was ultimately a 38-0 Buckeyes victory.

"I still have to evaluate how we're doing that and what's the best opportunity to go down the field and score," Meyer said following his team's win over the Rainbow Warriors. "I can't recall in major college football history when I remember witnessing something like this, where you have two good guys."

Andrew Weber/Getty Images

The following week against the Huskies, Meyer would once again start Jones before benching him in the first half following a 4-of-9, 36-yard, two-interception start. This time, Meyer opted to stick with Barrett for the remainder of the game, as the Buckeyes offense struggled, but held on for a victory, thanks in large part to its defensive counterpart.

Both statistically and aesthetically, the flip-flopping between Jones and Barrett hasn't helped either player's performance. These quarterbacks just don't look like the same quarterbacks who helped co-op the Buckeyes' run to a national title a season ago.

Player	Att/Comp	Completion %	Yards	Touchdowns	INTs	Passer Rating
Cardale Jones	26/46	56.5	334	2	3	118.8
J.T. Barrett	20/35	57.1	193	2	1	116.6

"I think our execution is not where it needs to be," Meyer said following the game against Hawaii. "We've got to really get in sync a little bit better."

Against Northern Illinois, however, the Buckeyes offense looked anything but cohesive, giving up five turnovers, including a combined three interceptions from Barrett and Jones. After the game, Meyer admitted his quarterback conundrum might be hurting his team's cause, as both quarterbacks have spent time splitting reps with with the first-team offense in practice.

"There might be some truth to that," Meyer answered when asked if the diluted reps have hindered his quarterbacks' performances.

"Not that I'm going to call some armchair people and ask them what they think. But I do believe in game reps. And that's how players get better. And that's something that I'm going to—I'm going to spend a lot of time thinking about that."

How much Meyer has contemplated who his starting quarterback will be and what conclusion—if any—he's come to since Saturday remains to be seen. Meyer will meet with the media for his weekly press conference Monday afternoon and could announce a starter—be it permanent or temporary—or could continue to play it coy.

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Based on the results he's seen in the past two weeks, it appears as though the Buckeyes would benefit from knowing who will be taking snaps behind center moving forward.

With a relatively soft nonconference schedule and an unimpressive slate to start Big Ten play, it used to seem as though Meyer would have plenty of time to figure out who his true No. 1 quarterback is.

Ohio State could very well remain a double-digit favorite against each opponent it faces for the next seven weeks before a potential No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup against Michigan State in the second-to-last week of the regular season.

But based on Ohio State's seven-point win over its Mid-American Conference opponent Saturday, the quarterback controversy could eventually lead to the team's own undoing. Both players' play was inconsistent at best against the Huskies, as was an offense that remains in search of an identity.

Whether you think Jones or Barrett should be the guy at this point is a matter of personal preference. Neither has done much to separate himself from the other so far.

But with the out-of-conference schedule coming to an end and Big Ten play around the corner, now is the time for Meyer to share his preference. With two shaky performances escaped unscathed, the Buckeyes—and everybody else—would benefit from knowing who Ohio State's quarterback will be for the rest of 2015.

Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Big Ten lead writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes were obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of CFBstats.com. Recruiting rankings courtesy of 247Sports.