SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — As the Ohio State portion of Fiesta Bowl media day came to a close Wednesday, Buckeyes safety Tyvis Powell grabbed the microphone from a Columbus television news station reporter and headed toward a familiar face.
Powell made a beeline for his roommate and “son,” Cardale Jones, and asked Ohio State's towering backup quarterback an important question.
“Cardale, a couple weeks ago you made the decision to say that you were going to the NFL,” Powell said, acting like he was interviewing Jones. “Did you think about who my roommate would be when you made that decision? Did you think about me at all?”
Jones looked up at the cameras surrounding him, then grabbed the microphone out of Powell’s hand.
“For one, let’s get something straight," Jones said. "Roommates pay bills. I take care of you!"
Nothing has changed here. This is the same old Powell, the same old Jones.
Except, for Jones, it seems like everything has changed over the course of the last year.
At this time last year, Jones was preparing to lead Ohio State into a national semifinal game against Alabama in just his second career start. Everybody knows how that played out, as well as Jones’ next start in the national championship game.
Then, the following fall, came the most popular quarterback battle in recent college football history between Jones and J.T. Barrett. Jones won that, the Buckeyes won their first seven games of the season with Jones as the starter and then he was benched in favor of Barrett.
Just two weeks after losing his starting job, though, Jones was thrust back into the spotlight after Barrett was suspended for Ohio State’s game against Minnesota. The Buckeyes knocked off the Gophers, but Jones was again relegated to the bench following that win.
He has remained there since and will be Barrett’s backup when Ohio State plays Notre Dame on Jan. 1 in the Fiesta Bowl.
“This year has been challenging,” Jones said Wednesday in his first meeting with reporters since that win over Minnesota. “But at the same time, it’s been fun being able to grind and struggle with the guys I came in with and the younger guys. It’s been a good year.”
Jones’ play this year was inconsistent, which was part of the reason he was benched in favor of Barrett midway through the year. The towering 6-foot-5, 250-pounder with a rocket for a right arm threw for 1,459 yards in his eight starts this season.
Jones threw eight touchdown passes, but had five interceptions and completed 62 percent of his passes. Barrett’s ability to run the ball — Jones is more of a pro-style pocket passer — was also a significant factor in Urban Meyer’s decision to make the change midway through the year.
The constant shuffling was difficult on both.
“We kind of wished circumstances were a little different in that aspect, but we knew iron sharpens iron,” Jones said. “There’s always going to be competition no matter where you’re at, no matter what you play. But that didn’t affect the relationship between me and him, that didn’t affect the relationship between me and the coaches or him and the coaches.”
Added Barrett: “I think things happen differently with each season, with each course of a game. I think we just both tried to do our best, play our best in order to help the team win. I think that’s what our focus was. I can’t speak for him, I speak for myself and I think it was one of those deals that you just try to do your best when you have the opportunity. I think that’s what we both tried to do.”
There won’t be a quarterback competition next season; Barrett will be the guy. Jones confirmed he is heading to the NFL after the season and the Fiesta Bowl will be his final game in the scarlet and gray and he may not even field a snap.
There will be no graduate transfer. “I don’t want to be a 24-year-old college student,” he said. In fact, that thought never really crossed his mind. It was Ohio State or the NFL.
“My loyalty, my heart is at Ohio State,” Jones said. “I would come back and sit another year before I would transfer to any school.”
Jones will leave Ohio State with an 11-0 career record as a starting quarterback. He has a national championship on his resume. There aren’t too many people who can say that.
He would be the first to admit this hasn’t been a perfect ride. There have almost been as many downs as there have been ups. But when it’s all said and done, Jones has accomplished more than many have or ever will.
His story will live on forever in Columbus.
“I kind of want to be remembered for the positive things that I did here,” Jones said. “I would like to think that I had more positive things and more ups than downs. I definitely think I’m going to leave a pretty good legacy here.”
Added Powell: “Cardale has done a lot of things, a lot of great things. He’ll probably be remembered more than me for what he’s done for this program. That makes me a proud father.”
