Eleven Warriors Roundtable: Dolodale's Back

So that bye week was fun, right? Yes, J.T. Barrett got popped for OVI but the salve on that wound is the penalty shouldn't be season-altering as Urban hands the keys to King Cardale, he of the perfect 10-0 record as a Buckeye starter. 

What kind of night can we expect from Jones? Will Braxton be an X-factor at quarterback in the red zone? How will the defense fare against a Minnesota offense that showed signs of life against a stout Michigan outfit? 

For answers to those questions and more we welcome Remy, Tim, Johnny and Kevin to the latest episode of the 11W roundtable. 

In Monday’s presser Urban said he was still debating whether or not J.T. Barrett should still be a captain. Would he still be a captain on your team? Why or why not?

Tim: This is a tough question, but I'm not sure if I was head coach of a team I'd allow Barrett to continue to be a captain this season. It's easy to say that from my couch, but I think I'd have a hard time letting him continue to be a captain of my team. I could see this going either way and I think Meyer asking fellow players to decide is a fair decision. 

Johnny: What J.T. did was stupid, irresponsible, and altogether human. I'm not going to crucify a guy who did something far too many of us are guilty of just to satisfy my moral outrage about drinking and driving; I believe that he's contrite and understands why what he did was wrong, and that's really all that you can expect from someone in that situation and hope that they don't do it again.

But that doesn't answer your question. No, he's not a captain on my team. That title comes with the understanding that you are held to a higher standard than your peers. A captain should know that every aspect of their lives is under scrutiny, because ideally they are the gold standard that a program wants out of every player. And captains don't make mistakes like this.

Remy: First, it's an honor to join Johnny, Tim and the intern at the 11W Roundtable. The dark mahogany and slate top table exceeds all expectations. Thanks for the seat. Second, where is my Land-Grant Stiff Arm I.P.A.? Kevin, you're slacking.
 

After getting an OVI J.T. Barrett would not be a captain on my team. I understand that we all make mistakes, but being a captain for Ohio State is an honor. It is an honor that comes with a lot of responsibility. One of the responsibilities is to represent the team with your actions. That privilege is lost when a captain breaks one of the team rules. Driving drunk is against the team rules and is a selfish act. Especially after Taylor Decker addressed the team about making good decisions during the bye-week.

With that said, I would also put J.T. Barrett on double secret probation. Meaning we would have a conversation behind closed doors in which I lay out what he needs to do in order to get his captaincy reinstated. We all make mistakes and we all deserve the right to learn from, correct and move on from those mistakes.

Kevin: The thought of removing J.T. Barrett as a captain wouldn't have even crossed my mind. If your standard for team captaincy is moral perfection, you wouldn't have a single one. 

This doesn't mean captains shouldn't be held to a higher standard; they absolutely should. That also doesn't excuse his actions; he should be (and was) disciplined. 

However, his response is far more important to me than the initial action. Urban Meyer said he was "devastated" the next morning. He said "all his concern was about the team." Taylor Decker said he personally called him and Pat Elflein (and presumably other players) to apologize and explain what happened. Everybody involved has said he's dealt with the situation selflessly. He's accepted responsibility without excuses and is going above and beyond simply "dealing with" the consequences.

That's the guy you're debating removing as a captain?

J.T. Barrett made a mistake, and is handling it better than you could ask. He's even leading his team in the midst of it, and has set a standard for how to handle mistakes in the future. Additionally, he now has common ground with teammates who are in a similar situation in the future - he's been there. He can now lead empathetically, not judgmentally.

That's exactly the guy I want as my captain. I think it would only be hurtful to the team remove him.

Though a one-game suspension is clearly the benchmark nationally for an OVI, what’s your take on Urban’s handling of the situation from a discipline standpoint which also included potential summer aid forfeiture? Did Meyer make the right call? Any chance he tacks on an additional game?

Remy: Yes, Urban Meyer and the University made the right call. The suspension and loss of summer scholarship may not appear to be steep enough of a punishment to some, but to a player losing the right to play is huge. Every competitor wants to be on the field to help his teammates win a game. Getting relegated to the sidelines when you are healthy is tough. I don't think his suspension will be extended, but if Cardale Jones is healthy I don't think Barrett will start against Illinois.

The loss of scholarship should not be overlooked. J.T. Barrett will feel this in his pocket book. Out of state tuition and room and board is not cheap. On top of the suspension, financial hit, public embarrassment and no car to drive I've also heard a rumor that J.T. Barrett's girlfriend is now hanging out with that creep Nathan.

Kevin: I was disappointed with the suspension, initially. I don't think J.T. Barrett needs more punishment to be taught a lesson. He's more than remorseful already, and he now has to win back the trust and respect of his teammates while facing public backlash and scrutiny, not to mention the actual legal repercussions that come with an OVI. Another game isn't going to do much more from a discipline standpoint. However, it was a chance for Meyer to make a statement by going above and beyond the national benchmark. The one game suspension gives critics the opportunity to call Urban Meyer soft. And quite frankly, a one game suspension for an OVI looks soft.

On the other hand, if J.T. Barrett doesn't need more punishment for the point to be made, is it fair or beneficial to give it to him? You have to ask, what is the point in discipline? Is it to appease the media and outside critics or to help the kid get back on the right track?

If J.T. Barrett learned and grew from his mistake, then Meyer made the right call.

Johnny: I'm not a big fan of having J.T. forfeit his summer aid. He deserves punishment, sure, but a financial penalty is something for the courts to decide. It's not fair for J.T. to incur an additional penalty that another citizen wouldn't just because he plays college football, and it's odd that as sports fans in general, we've come to accept the idea that the governing bodies of these various sports not only can impose fines (which, despite J.T. being an "amateur," that's exactly what this is) in lieu of legal action, but absolutely should do that. Personally, I would've tacked on an additional game and been done with it, and I wouldn't be surprised that if Cardale comes out and has a decent game against Goldy, J.T. gets a Hyde-esque phantom suspension for Illinois as well.

Tim: It seems that the one-game suspension Meyer gave Barrett is pretty standard for an OVI so I don't have any problem with that. Had he made it two games, I wouldn't have had a problem with that, either. No suspension or longer than a two-game suspension I think would have been the wrong call. I don't think Barrett will be suspended beyond the Minnesota game, though I'm not 100 percent sure he'll start against Illinois either.

With Barrett on the shelf, Cardale Jones is back in as the starter and faces the league’s 6th best pass defense yielding 176 yards per game. What kind of outing can we expect from Cardale?

Johnny: I think Minnesota is going to try and make Cardale beat them by completely selling out on the run, which is a pretty decent strategy given that Cardale hasn't quite made teams pay for doing that the way that we had hoped he would. With that said, I think ol' Dolo should have a pretty successful game due to a couple of factors.

First, I think the staff is finally starting to understand the urgency of getting Braxton more involved in the offense. Running him out of the wildcat and hoping for the best does nothing for Cardale; Miller needs to be a complementary part of the passing game for Jones to be successful, but in truth he's probably the biggest downfield threat the team has right now.

Secondly, there's a lot less pressure on him. No looking over his shoulder, trying to constantly make the big play. Cardale can just let the game come to him, and know that there are quite a few safety nets behind him to make his life somewhat easier. Selling out on Zeke might work for a while, but one truly crazy stat is that Elliott's YPC jumps from a below average 4.85 in the first half to a ridiculous 8.57 in the second. If Jones struggles in the first two quarters, he's got one hell of a safety net after halftime.

Kevin: I think Cardale has his best game of the season this week. He hasn't looked like the same quarterback that beat Wisconsin, Alabama, Oregon or even Virginia Tech, but I don't believe his struggles have been due to a lack of talent, but rather a lack of confidence. At times, it looks like he's playing scared, knowing that at any point he could be yanked in favor of Barrett.

This week, that won't be an issue. He won't be looking over his shoulder when he throws a bad ball, and he won't have to listen to fans chant for J.T. Barrett after the team is forced to punt. Much like last year's post-season, he's the guy. There is nobody threatening his spot.

We'll see the loose and confident Cardale Jones we saw last year, and he'll have a great game.

Tim: I think this will be a typical game from Jones. He, and Ohio State's offense, may struggle a bit in the first half as they try and work some things out, but eventually the Buckeyes will pull away in the second half.

I expect Ezekiel Elliott to get involved a lot early on with some passes mixed in along the way. Things will open up for Jones in the second half and I'd look for him to hover right around the 200-yard passing mark. 

Remy: I'm hoping we see the Cardale that played in 2014, but I'm expecting the 2015 version of Dolodale. It appears defenses don't respect Jones' ability to scramble. Why? Because he's not running. Why did Christian Hackenberg struggle against Ohio State over the past three years? The Buckeyes knew he couldn't hurt them with his legs and attacked the spot on the field where Hackenberg should be. 

Like Penn State's quarterback, Cardale Jones has become a stationary target. If Jones makes the Gophers account for his running ability the passing game should benefit. I'm hoping he finds an open receiver after two reads. If he doesn't I'd like to see Cardale Jones run downhill with a purpose.

When Ohio State enters the red zone on Saturday night it could very well mean Braxton Miller lines up at quarterback. What’s your take on Miller as the temporary red zone QB? Will it happen? If so, what might we expect? Any chance Braxton throws a couple passes?

Remy: The first thought that comes to mind is “Don't get hurt.” I have no idea the status of his shoulder, but I'm sure if he is able to throw with velocity (without injury) the coaching staff will let him put the ball in the air. What makes J.T. Barrett effective in the red zone is his great decision making on the read option and passing game. Barrett is a great distributor and has a knack of putting the ball in the hands of the correct person to make a play.

From what I have seen this season is that Miller keeps the ball on the read option. I'm sure he's given the ball at least once, but I'm having a hard time remembering that play. I'm not in the huddle, perhaps the play calls have all been keeps, but I find that hard to believe. Recall back to 2012 when That Team had Denard Robinson taking snaps from center in the second half of The Game. Every time he was back there you knew he was running the ball. 

To this point when Braxton Miller is in the backfield you know he is going to run the ball. If the staff uses him in the red zone I hope the entire playbook is at Miller's disposal. If not, would Jalin Marshall be a better option? Joe Burrow?

Johnny: The issue with Braxton being the red zone quarterback is that as of now teams have zero reason to respect the pass. Theoretically he can, right? I mean, we assume so, but truthfully no one outside of the program has any idea about whether or not he's able or willing to wing it and put that shoulder at risk (if I were him I'd be laughing hysterically at any suggestion that I should chance another injury because the starting QB decided to drink and drive).

But Braxton isn't me, and being a football player maybe he's just a lot more laissez-faire about his physical well-being than I would be. I can't deny that it'd be really, really funny and cool and good if he chucked a couple of touchdowns this Saturday, if only to terrify Dantonio and Harbaugh.

Tim: I think Miller coming in as the red zone quarterback is a likely scenario, though I'm not sure how effective he will be. He hasn't shown the ability to throw the ball yet and, until he does that, teams can sell out to stop the run.

There's been a lot of talk this week about Miller throwing the ball, but I'm going to remain skeptical until I actually see it with my own eyes. Not saying that he can't do it or that he won't do it, just we've been hearing about the possibility of him throwing for a while now and still haven't seen it. I want to see him actually throw the ball before I start making predictions about it.

Kevin: I have no qualms with Braxton Miller taking quarterback reps Saturday night, and I fully expect it to happen. The offense is so much more effective in the red-zone with a more mobile QB, I'd almost be shocked if we didn't see him take the red-zone snaps.

However, I don't think his quarterback reps will be limited to just the red-zone. I think this is the week where they "unleash" him, so to speak. I predict he'll throw multiple passes, including a touchdown.

Regardless of where he lines up, I'm always excited to watch him play. He's one of the most exciting players I've ever seen play college football, and he in many ways epitomizes Buckeye football for me. Remember, I'm only 21 years old. Braxton Miller has been a Buckeye for as long as I've been able to drive a car.

Though much of the talk this week is rightfully focusing on OSU’s situation at quarterback, a Buckeye defense playing against the league’s 13th worst scoring offense (21.1 ppg) could be just as big a factor Saturday night especially after the Gopher offense tallied 26 points versus a Michigan defense giving up only 11 points per game on the season. What kind of night can we expect from the Silver Bullets?

Tim: While Minnesota's offense has been playing much better of late and what it did against Michigan's defense Saturday was certainly surprising, I'm not sure it's capable of doing similar things against Ohio State this weekend; the Buckeyes have too much talent and team speed.

I'd fully expect Ohio State to load up in an attempt to stop the Gophers' strong running attack and try to force quarterback Mitch Leidner to beat them. Advantage: Ohio State. 

Kevin: The defense will play lights-out. They've had two weeks to get healthy and now return Damon Webb to the cornerback rotation. 

Almost inevitably, Minnesota will have a head-scratching big play or two, but I think the defense will have little trouble shutting down the rather inept Gopher offense. Even if they are moderately effective, I don't see them outscoring the Buckeye offense.

Johnny: They'll have a great game. Those 26 points from Minnesota against Michigan could be seen as kind of a mirage, especially given that Leidner's 317 yards of passing was somehow managed against a 48% completion percentage. Ohio State continues to be one of the better teams in the country against explosive passing plays, so I expect that his effectiveness will be somewhat limited, even against a banged-up secondary.

Ohio State's relative weakness, run defense, probably won't be challenged by an anemic Goldy running game that gets just over 4 yards per carry and a stubborn 155 yards per game. Unless Minnesota can pull off some of the big play magic that sustained them against Michigan, I don't see them being able to keep this a close game. Especially now that any residual "Win one for the Killer" enthusiasm has probably worn off.

Remy: Quarterbacks with the ability to extend plays with their legs have hurt the Buckeyes this year. Although Leidner isn't a world class runner, he is athletic enough to gain yards at key moments with his running ability. If Ohio State's offense struggles to sustain drives and has several three and outs it could put the Silver Bullets in a bind. With that said I envision the defense playing with a fire and holding the Gophers to 17 points.

In the first college football playoff poll of the season the Buckeyes slotted 3rd. Were you surprised at all by Ohio State’s ranking or any of the others in the top six? How will the top four ultimately shake out?

Kevin: I really don't care about the rankings right now, because it will shake out when teams play each other. The way I see it, the final four will go like this (not necessarily in this order):

1. Ohio State/Michigan State/Iowa

2. LSU/Alabama/Florida

3. Baylor/Oklahoma State/TCU

4. Notre Dame/Clemson/Florida State

5. Stanford/Utah

Basically, the team that wins out (or has the best record) within those groups will earn the spot. There's just too much season left to get too worked up about rankings. The Buckeyes and every team I listed above are in good shape to make the post season. 

Remember, last year's national champion was ranked 16th at this time last season.

Johnny: The top six seems pretty reasonable, and really the only thing that I know about the top four at the end of the year is that the initial poll is pretty much in no way predictive of what it's going to look like at the end of the year. The way schedules shake out is the first indicator of this (especially this coming weekend), but I'm going to cop out and say that I have no clue. Ohio State is ranked 3rd because of a bad (to this point) schedule, lackluster wins over most of those teams, and a quarterback situation in a lot of flux.

Since that position isn't particularly helpful beyond knowing that if they win out, they're in, I'm fine with how they were ranked.

Remy: I'm a little surprised they opened in the third spot considering Florida State started as the No. 2 team last year. However, after last year's CFP rankings I have come to three conclusions. The first six weekly rankings are done for water cooler talk, the CFP committee has a hard-on for the SEC and Ohio State just needs to win to get in.

When the dust finally settles I believe there will be four conferences represented in the final CFP Poll. As long as mayhem does not ensue the PAC 12 will be the conference on the outside looking in. Is anybody else looking forward to the day when the playoff includes all power five conference champions and has a total of six or eight teams? First and second round home games for the highest seeds would be nice as well.

Tim: I wasn't surprised with Ohio State's ranking at all; I thought it would be third or fourth and that's right where they came in. Clemson and LSU in the top-two slots also didn't surprise me, but Alabama at No. 4 did. I had the Tide at 10th in my own personal projections and I still don't really understand the committee's explanation for ranking Alabama where it did.

I still think it's entirely way too early to predict a final four at the end of the season, but if you're going to make me do it right now I'll say: 1. Clemson, 2. Ohio State, 3. TCU, 4. Alabama.

The Buckeyes enter the game as a hefty 23-point favorite. Do they cover? Give us your final score and game MVP prediction.

Tim: I don't think Ohio State will cover the spread, I believe it has only covered once or twice with Jones at quarterback. I've got Ohio State 34, Minnesota 13 as a final with Ezekiel Elliott as the game's MVP.

Remy: No. My sources* tell me the final will be 33-17. I'm hoping the MVP is Ezekiel Elliott after he puts up over 300 yards in his best Eddie George impersonation under theSaturday Night lights. Can you hear the chants of Zeeke raining down from the fans as Elliott puts on a performance for the ages? I can.

*My sources have been known to be wrong.

Kevin: Ohio State wins 38-10. My game MVP is Cardale Jones, who will be playing with confidence for the first time since Blacksburg. I also expect Braxton Miller to have a big game. I have a sneaky suspicion they're going to unleash him in ways we haven't yet seen this week. As I've already said, I'm predicting a touchdown pass.

Johnny: I'm starting to learn this season that winning by three or more touchdowns is maybe not quite as easy as it sounds in college football 2k15. There is a lot more parity in the Big Ten than we thought, and even though Minnesota is depleted, lost their coach, and is on the road, they'll give the Buckeyes enough headaches for a few quarters to keep it under 23, at least. Something like 38-17 sounds about right.

MVP is Jalin Marshall. This has Indiana 2014 written all over it.