That was OSU safety Tyvis Powell on Monday afternoon, talking about Cardale Jones and Barrett, the two guys vying to be the defending national champion’s starting quarterback this season in what has become the most captivating position battle in college football.
So, a week before next Monday night’s nationally televised opener at Virginia Tech, an OSU player was offering some behind-closed-doors observation on who will be the starter?
Was he saying Barrett, the redshirt sophomore who started 12 games last season, passed and ran for 3,772 yards and had a Big Ten-record 45 touchdowns had moved ahead of Jones, the junior who took over when Barrett broke an ankle, and promptly threw for 742 yards and five scores as he led the Bucks to a 59-0 blowout of Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game, an upset of Alabama in the national semifinal and a 42-20 rout of Oregon in the national title game?
Aaah, no.
He was talking about the hotly contested Madden NFL football video games the pair plays nightly.
No one knows the two quarterbacks better than Powell. He and Jones share an apartment and Barrett is a regular visitor.
“In the past couple of days I’ve had the luxury of kicking it with J.T. and Cardale,” Powell said. “For some reason my apartment has become the hangout spot for the two.
“And (right now) they’re the same people they have been all summer. They still play the (video) games together every day. Everybody’s calm. Nobody really talks about the quarterback competition.”
Maybe there, but every place else the quarterback decision dominates the conversation when it comes to OSU football. That was especially the case at head coach Urban Meyer’s media session Monday.
But he and everyone else embraced the party line: The competition is still neck and neck. No decision has been made.
As for Barrett and Jones?
“I’m like ‘Do y’all even know?’ and they’re like ‘Naaah,’ ” Powell said. “I guess who jogs out there first will be the starter.”
Interestingly, while Powell can’t name the Bucks’ starter, he is able to give you the name of the mother and father of the Virginia Tech left guard he’ll be going up against Monday night in Blacksburg.
“It’s Cheryl,” he grinned. “And the dad’s name is Richard.”
He was talking about the parents of 304-pound Wyatt Teller.
And how in the world does he know that?
“A couple of interviews ago someone asked me how well I knew Virginia Tech,” he smiled. “The joke I made is that ‘I studied ‘em so well, I know the guard’s mother’s name.’
“At the last interview someone asked me if I ever figured out the mother’s name. I said, ‘No, I didn’t.’ And then someone tweeted me the name, so I had it for future reference.”
He started to laugh: “A lot of things go on on social media. You can find out a lot of things in the world.”
Powell’s savviness off the field and on — he made the game-saving interception on the final play against Alabama and was the MVP of the national title game – has made him a favorite among his teammates.
It’s why they just voted him to be one of the six team captains.
“It was like one of those things you dream about as a kid,” he said. “It was like ‘Wow!’ To have that much respect from my peers, that they found me to be a leader of this team, it’s an honor. And I don’t want to do anything to let them down.”
Barrett also was chosen as a captain. Jones was not.
“It’s a factor, but not the factor,” Meyer said of the vote influencing his decision.
Personally, I think Barrett will be the starter. I’ve thought that ever since I heard Meyer sing his praises late last year. He’s sold on the kid as a leader and so are the players.
As receiver Michael Thomas was explaining the captains vote Monday:
“J.T. is a leader. He’s real vocal. I feel like he has great parents that brought him up like that. He’s someone we just trust in in situations. He’ll always speak up and voice his opinion. He doesn’t really hold it in.”
Jones speaks up, too, and he has a cannon arm and he’s certainly one of the most fun guys on the team, but his loosey-gooseyness of the past might give some pause to those making the decision on the starter.
Off the field he still can be a little lax: Powell was asked if, by being voted team captain, he’s now the captain of the apartment, too.
“I was the captain (there) before I got announced the captain here,” he said with a laugh. “I told you (before), certain things wouldn’t happen in our apartment if it wasn’t for me. Stuff wouldn’t get paid on time. The house wouldn’t be taken care of. It’s because of me. I’m the father. He’s the son.”
In all seriousness though, Powell said both Jones and Barrett are supporting each other 100 percent in this competition:
“They built a bond with each other that, no matter who the starter is, they’re gonna support each other. They want to see the best for each other.”
Asked if one will be inwardly crushed when the decision is made, Powell thought and his smile faded:
“Yeah, I think anybody in America would be crushed if they found out they’re not going to be the starting quarterback. … I know for a fact Cardale was a little crushed last year (when Barrett was chosen to replace injured Braxton Miller). But he still supported J.T. and it did not alter their relationship in any way.”
Would he like to see the two get to share some of the quarterbacking duties?
He pondered that and finally shook his head:
“It’d be nice. Then maybe on the inside one wouldn’t be as crushed as he would be if he got no playing time at all.”
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