Joe Theismann Thinks Ohio State's Quarterbacks "Really Couldn't Play Quarterback"
Joe Theismann thinks he knows what Ohio State football's problem was in 2015. It wasn't that Urban Meyer couldn't decide on a starting quarterback, it was that he didn't have a true starting quarterback to pick. That's what the former Heisman Trophy runner-up thinks, anyway.
Joe Theismann, speaking to ND Insider, said the Buckeyes' quarterbacks in 2015 - Cardale Jones and then J.T. Barrett - "really couldn't play quarterback."
The 66-year-old former Fighting Irish star says Barrett, the Big Ten's MVP in 2014, and Jones, who led OSU to a national championship, are more "2s" than they are "1s."
Here's his full quote.
“The guys at Ohio State (in 2015) really couldn’t play quarterback. That was their problem,” Theismann said. “When you don’t have a ‘1,’ you have a couple of 2’s, you don’t know what you’re going to do with them. One becomes a quarterback, and the other you’re not sure of. I think that was Urban (Meyer)’s situation.
“You have to look at Urban’s history with quarterbacks, too. Tim Tebow was not the best thrower of the football. The guys at Ohio State were just OK. The Notre Dame guys are actually passers. If somebody from Ohio State takes offense to that, I don’t care.”
Neither Barrett nor Jones had very good 2015s - Barrett's production dropped off quite a bit from the season prior while Jones never seemed to be able to get in a great rhythm - but they're certainly college starting quarterback material.
Both Barrett and Jones' passing stats are pretty similar to that of the "Notre Dame guys" in DeShone Kizer and Malik Zaire. All four QBs have competed 60-65 percent of their passes and possess decent running ability to go along with their passing skills.
Ohio State beat Notre Dame in last season's Fiesta Bowl, 44-28. Barrett completed 19 of 31 passes for 211 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Kizer completed 22 of 37 passes for 284 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
Brian Kelly has said both Kizer and Zaire will play in Notre Dame's Week 1 game against Texas.
