The defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes are back, but they look like they’ve never left.
Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer started Cardale Jones at quarterback Monday night after keeping his team’s starter a secret all summer. Jones began last season as the third-stringer, but after injuries to starter Braxton Miller and second-stringer J.T. Barrett — the reigning Big Ten quarterback of the year — Jones started in and won the national championship game against Oregon in January.
The decision paid off early for Meyer on Monday night, as Jones connected with Curtis Samuel on the team’s first drive of the season for a terrific touchdown.
Ezekiel Elliott, who ran all over the competition in the inaugural college football playoff, took his first handoff of the season 80 yards for a score in OSU’s second drive of the game.
Boston Celtics forward Jared Sullinger, a former Buckeye himself, was pretty excited.
The 42-24 win wasn’t a bad start for the champs. It also must have the other FBS teams on high alert after this was pegged as a potential “upset special.”
Thumbnail photo via Matthew Emmons/USA TODAY Sports Images
