Cardale Jones is still Ohio State’s starting QB

Cardale Jones is still Ohio State’s starting quarterback.

Despite Jones’ lackluster performance that saw him complete 12 of 18 passes for 111 yards and no touchdown against Hawaii last week, coach Urban Meyer said he has no plans on benching his starter.

“He’s the starting quarterback,” Meyer said of Jones on Monday. “I met with him yesterday. J.T. has not beat him out yet. He’s going to continue to have opportunities to do that because J.T. is a very good player and Cardale’s got to perform.”

Barrett didn’t exactly make a case to be the starter when he replaced Jones in the second quarter. He completed 8 of 15 passes for 70 and no touchdowns.

The two star quarterbacks combined for just 12 rushing yards and seven carries.

“Neither played that well Saturday, but a lot of it was extenuating circumstances about protection,” Meyer said. “We just weren’t — we didn’t play very well. So it’s not that difficult.”

Ohio State came away with a 38-0 win against the Rainbow Warriors, but much of that was because the Buckeyes had superior talent. However, it Ohio State plays in a similar manner against Northern Illinois this weekend, the result could be different.

While Northern Illinois hails from the Mid-American Conference, its is one of the best teams in the conference and have no fear when it comes to going toe-to-toe with a team from the Big Ten. In the past two seasons, Northern Illinois is 3-0 against the Big Ten, beating Northwestern, Iowa and Purdue. The Huskies haven’t played Ohio State since losing to the Buckeyes 35-12 in 2006.

“They’re a very good team,” Meyer said of NIU. “Offensively, their quarterback is setting all kinds of records. They’re 305 pounds on the defensive tackles.

“When you have a team that’s really good on video, it’s all about preparation. Our players will respect them. I don’t anticipate a problem with that. Because they’re good. That’s the thing, they’re 11-win teams. They’ve beaten Northwestern, Purdue, Iowa, and Minnesota, and they beat — I wouldn’t call those upsets. I think these guys are very good.”

For more Ohio State news, visit BuckeyeGrove.com.

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