As Ohio State seeks to repeat as national champions, the predominant question facing the Buckeyes revolves around who will play quarterback
With Braxton Miller saying he will return to the Buckeyes, the team has three high-profile candidates, each with an impressive resume:
J.T. Barrett: 2014 first-team All-Big Ten and Big Ten Freshman of the Year
Cardale Jones: Quarterbacked the Buckeyes to wins in the Big Ten championship game, the Sugar Bowl and the College Football Playoff National Championship game last season
Braxton Miller: 2012 and 2013 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year
Below, we break down the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate.
J.T. Barrett, redshirt sophomore
Strength – Accuracy
Barrett has the highest career completion percentage in Ohio State history and led the Big Ten in completion percentage last season (64.6 percent).
He completed 78 percent of his passes thrown fewer than 10 yards downfield last season and had a Power 5-high 20 touchdowns on such throws.
Weakness – Explosiveness
The Buckeyes averaged fewer yards per play and racked up 20- and 30-yard plays less frequently with Barrett at quarterback than when Miller or Jones started the last two seasons.
Cardale Jones, redshirt junior
Strength – Big arm
Jones completed 12 of 21 passes (57 percent) thrown at least 20 yards downfield last season (including five for touchdowns).
More than 21 percent of Jones’ completions came on passes thrown 20 or more yards downfield last season. That was the highest percentage among Power 5 quarterbacks with at least 75 such passes.
Weakness - Ball security
Jones turned the ball over once every 30.3 plays as the starter last season (four turnovers in 121 plays), more often than Barrett, Miller and the average among qualified quarterbacks since 2013 (one every 37.4 plays).
Braxton Miller, redshirt senior
Strength– Improvisation/Run threat
Miller holds the Ohio State career record for rush yards by a quarterback (3,054 yards) and averaged a Power 5-high (minimum 10 rushes) 11.5 yards on scrambles in 2013.
On zone-read keepers the last two seasons, Miller has averaged 7.7 yards and scored five touchdowns. Barrett has averaged 7.0 yards and Jones has averaged 5.8 yards.
Despite missing last season, Miller has the most 20-yard rushes by a quarterback (40) since he came to Ohio State in 2011 (and is tied for the fourth-most among all players).
And, as the chart indicates, Miller’s passing has improved.
Weakness - Passing under pressure
He has a 54 percent career completion percentage against the blitz, tied for 78th among 109 Power 5 quarterbacks with at least 100 such passes since 2011.
The propensity to turn the ball over extends to plays when Miller is out of the pocket. In 2012 and 2013, he had 14 fumbles on non-sack plays -- tied for the most in FBS -- including six inside the opponent’s 40, which tied for the second-most in FBS.