Joe Burrow’s possible transfer was a topic of conversation almost every day since he first admitted to thinking about it following last December’s Big Ten Championship Game.
Burrow addressed the possibility again following the Cotton Bowl and more during spring football. As such, the coaches also had to address it. Normally, this stuff isn’t discussed with the media, but since Burrow had no problems talking, the coaches were then also subject to the questions.
Following spring ball, OSU offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson was asked if he had learned anything from his quarterback battles at Indiana that could help the situation at Ohio State.
“Well, you’re making everybody mad when you try to make everybody happy,” he said. “Everything I’m saying right now is going to be judged by them. And basically where you put your comma is going to be judged. Do you put an exclamation point? They’re judging everything, and to me, it was about who got the guy in the end zone. They were all great kids, all that kind of deal. It’s tough.”
The even tougher part then comes when a quarterback decides that he wants to transfer out in order to find a better chance to start.
Wilson has been there as well. Prior to the 2014 season at IU, quarterbacks Cameron Coffman and Tre Roberson transferred out, leaving the Hoosiers in a depth chart hole.
“I had a kid, one of them was leaving,” Wilson recalled. “I said, ‘You don’t want to leave.’ I said, ‘You’ve got a redshirt year, we could redshirt you. Stay. And maybe you’ll play.’”
The plea didn’t work and so Indiana was left with just junior Nate Sudfeld and freshman Zander Diamont heading into the 2014 season. Sudfeld and Roberson split time effectively in 2013, but Roberson was looking for something more substantial. So was Coffman, who transferred to Wyoming.
Sudfeld suffered an injury midway through the season and was lost for the year.
“Well then, we had an injury to a really good player that just won a Super Bowl that lost half a year,” Wilson said. “But [Coffman] did what he felt was best and I respected what he did. I really think sometimes though, just being a good teammate and working hard, there is still value in that.”
In preparation for the worst in 2014, Wilson moved freshman linebacker Chris Covington to quarterback in preseason camp. Covington saw time in five of Indiana’s first six games before he suffered an ACL tear. Wilson then had to burn Diamont’s freshman redshirt and start him for the final six games of the season.
Could Indiana have used Roberson or Coffman that season? Without question.
“When Coach Hayes and Coach Brown were coaching, with some of those values about ‘Come to work every day,” Wilson said. “And it’s hard because we are in an ‘I world.’ We are in a ‘right now world.’ We are in an ‘immediacy world.’”
Wilson doesn’t fault quarterbacks transferring. Everyone understands why they do it. From his perspective, however, he knows the negative impact that it can have on the team and on the player. The grass isn’t always greener, as they say.
“We’ll see how we come through this thing, but I don’t know,” he said prior to Burrow’s departure.
“I respect what Coach Meyer and Coach Day are doing. I respect what those kids have been doing. And I think it will be interesting as we move forward and hopefully at the end of the day you do what’s best for each kid. And ultimately we want to do what’s best for our program and our school as we move forward.”
Good riddance Burrow, what a distraction he was to this team. Not impressed by his personality or play.
I’m not impressed with Haskins.
I’m not impressed with Burrow.
For all you Burrow supporters: Joey earned nothing. Spring games are practices, do you see the coaches standing on the field, the refs not making calls, it’s just a practice no more. Stop with this earned crap, you make yourself look silly.
Haskins by far is the better QB, do you remember the michigan game, my gosh wake up people!!!
Michigan defense was bad.
They had the No. 1 pass defense in the nation last year and the No. 4 pass efficiency defense. For what it’s worth.
Not as bad as one sentence responses that are way off the mark.
I am so over this kid its crazy, so much media attention for nothing. Good riddance Joey.
Why all the love for Joe Burrow? He wasn’t dismissed or asked to leave an didn’t do enough to earn the starting role outright. He left the program. The program didn’t leave him.
It will all come out some day. Coaches come and go and some may have the brass to say what they really felt about the QB fiasco.
Wouldn’t it be something if, at the end of the regular 2018 season, a Burrow-led LSU team was in the play-offs and Tate Martell was the starting OSU QB in a lesser bowl?
1) Let me start by saying I didn’t really care who won the QB job this year, may the best man win, and I’ll support both of them either way. I would have been just as excited if Joe had won the job. 2) No way in hell a mediocre LSU team makes the playoffs, especially with the coaching staff they have. 3) All you hacks keep saying Haskins won the job because of the *ichigan game. I haven’t heard one coach on the OSU staff say he won the job because of that game, that’s all comes from fan talk. 4) Those 11 responses to this article might be the worst I have ever read on this site. Maybe ya’ll need to put in your application at The Ohio State University to be the next head coach, because obviously Urban (and Wilson, Day, Schiano, etc…) have no idea what they are doing. 5) Going to play in the SEC against better competition, give me a break…I’ll take the Bucks, Penn State, Wisconsin, against the SEC…Florida??? really come on. They have Alabama, that’s its, Georgia had one good year and they lost everyone this year. Auburn…what a joke. Go Bucks!!
Everything you just read in that article is bullshit. Joe deserved and EARNED the shot to start. Didn’t get it. So if he stays that’s 4 yrs of working his ass off and riding the bench for guys that werent even there when he began. So basically he should stay in case you need him, and if you don’t he has completed three years of eligibility without any playing time. Nah, I don’t think so. That would be stupid.
Neither guy earned it out right. Both guys were good enough to start this fall, and Urban would be doing all the fans a disservice if he called Burrow the starter in the spring. If either guy thought it was the job was going to be won in the spring… he was fooling himself. That’s why I consider it Burrow giving up on OSU. Urban could have called Burrow the starter in the spring, only to see Haskins pass him in the fall and have to name him the new starter. Then people would be ripping him a new one because he “lied” to Burrow. Bo you know probably as much as the rest of us on this situation… which is very little. How about waiting and seeing who was right and who was wrong… before spouting off about the subject.
What an opening title…”There is still value in not transferring”…that is a false narrative. Joe Burrow who was and is a leader displayed that he could have been the man if he had not broken his hand. Haskins did not “technically” beat him out for the position as it was handed to him by default or due to injury. Did he help lead OSU to a win over the team up north…YES….but it was reminiscent of one Cardale Jones when he was thrust into action when J.T. went down and he was forced into action….look what he did….led the BUcks to a Natty. Came back the next year and stunk up the field! Could we see another repeat with Haskins at the helm??? Time and time alone will tell.
In the meantime, Joe Burrow finds himself at a school that will play against much better competition with the likes of Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Auburn…etc. His value as a QB will rise and his draft readiness will improve. Good luck to Joe Burrow!
Great post Kelly. I’ve seen Joe play in high school and he was very darn good if not better.
I think he’s better than JT. That was Meyer’s boy. Joe has the work ethic, talent and skills to play in the pros. Being also an SEC fan, not bama anymore, I have their Network. So I’ll be watching him play against the tougher competition.
florida??lol–that’s a mediocre program right now and auburn is very up and down….i would take the top 4 big ten teams over the top 4 sec–and top to bottom –and the big ten is slightly better overall than the sec so that makes no sense…….that said, I am in total agreement that Joe B should’ve been named the starter…all this hype over part of one game against scUM worries me when everything else we got to see Burrow was the more consistent, better qb…i will be rooting for Haskins and OSU to kick butt and he should be good, but Burrow shoulda been the starter.
Joe Burrow had three very good spring games. Performed well when given a chance and did everything asked of him. Even Meyer lauded his work ethic and toughness. He deserved to be named starter and Meyer, for whatever reason, didn’t have brass to make the call. He is no Nick Saban.
Meyer has to look out for OSU first which prevented him from being completely honest with Joey, Joey lost the job after he broke his hand then any “competition” went away after MI game. Did Meyer technically lie telling Joey there is a QB competition, yep, what else was he supposed to say since OSU is better off making Haskins think he could lose the job plus Burrow & his family knew the game Meyer was playing. Coaches are all about me, me, me so as much as I agree that the millennial culture is about right now, Coaches aren’t great role models anymore
Well maybe they should have told Joey he would start! I’m still upset that didn’t happen. Joey played as good as he could play in the spring game, but that wasn’t enough for Meyer. Why didn’t they just tell him right from the gitgo that he wasn’t going to start. Somehow I feel that they were hoping he’d have a bad game so they wouldn’t have to make a decision. I don’t like dishonesty and that’s exactly what they were to Joey Burrow.
You’re asking them to be dishonest by telling him he would start. They couldn’t honestly tell him that.
No Gerd, I didn’t mean that. What I meant was, be honest and tell him he had no intent to let him start this fall. From what I read, Meyer told him there would be a decision this spring, depending on who earned the spot. When Joey earned it, there was no decision. That’s dishonest!
I agree Ed
Looks like OSU just lost some supporters to LSU. Players before program is a common theme in many of the above comments and I bid all of these posters a fine day. May our paths cross again should OSU meet LSU on the gridiron someday.