PLENTY OF QB-RELATED INTRIGUE FOR OHIO STATE IN OPENER VS. HOKIES

Virginia Tech hosts Ohio State in a Labor Day special to finish off college football’s opening weekend, and few openers could come with more intrigue.

You’ve got the defending national champion, Ohio State, visiting the opponent that handed the Buckeyes their only loss of 2014. A defending national champion that won the title courtesy of two quarterbacks, neither of whom were the pick to start for the Buckeyes, and all three QBs remain on the roster, with coach Urban Meyer playing coy on who will get the reins. It makes for must-see television in Blacksburg, Va. We know Braxton Miller won’t start; the 2013 quarterback star suffered a shoulder injury, missed all of last season and now has moved to receiver in the wake of the new stars J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones. Barrett quarterbacked the Buckeyes to an 11-1 regular season in 2014 but was injured in the Michigan game. Jones came on and was spectacular in victories over Wisconsin (Big Ten title game), Alabama (Sugar Bowl) and Oregon (Big Bowl).

Now Barrett and Jones have a quarterback derby to end all quarterback derbies.

“We’ll announce the starter when the first guy takes the snap” at Virginia Tech, Meyer said Monday. “It’s still very close. Both guys are performing very well.” In many ways, it’s a can’t-go-wrong decision. “If it was different skill sets, we probably would (need to decide), but they’re not,” Meyer said. “If you look at J.T.’s gameplan when he was our quarterback, and Cardale’s, it was very similar. There’s a chance they’ll both play, as well.”

And why not? The old adage that if you’ve got two quarterbacks, you really have none? That’s nonsense. If you’ve got two mediocre quarterbacks, maybe. If you’ve got two locomotives who have won at the highest levels, you’ve got a leg up on every team in America.

Both Barrett and Jones have denied interest in a rotation, but that might be the best for the Buckeyes.

“I’d like to see both guys involved,” Meyer said. “It could be in-game; it could be weekly.”

Either way, it’s going to be fascinating to see Monday night.