Former Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones (12) runs the ball as Michigan junior defensive back Blake Countess (2) and sophomore safety Delano Hill (44) defend. Ohio State won 42-28 on Nov. 29, 2014. Credit: Lantern file photo

Nov. 29, 2014. 

The date marked the 111th anniversary of The Game. 

Ohio State and Michigan faced off in a tight 28-21 showdown at the ‘Shoe. 

The afternoon was exceptional until Buckeye second-string quarterback J.T. Barrett went down on the opening drive of the fourth quarter. 

The thought remained, according to ESPN announcer Dave Pasch: 

“You wonder what’s going through the head of 12 right there,” Pasch said. 

Little did Pasch know, the player he referred to as “12” would go on to become one of the most prominent figures in Ohio State history, Cardale Jones. 

Jones’ memorable run at Ohio State in 2014 is often described as a “Cinderella story.” He went on to lead the Buckeyes to a 42-28 victory against Michigan followed by three consecutive wins against Heisman trophy candidates, including a 22-point victory that secured the Buckeyes their latest championship in 2014 against the Oregon Ducks.

“I have four pair[s] of gold pants,” Jones said. “I was lucky enough to be on four winning teams, but the ones from 2014 is the only ones I really care about because it’s the only game I played in. They’re near and dear to my heart for sure.” 

The morning of The Game was like any other. A walkthrough with the traditional pregame pep rally, known as the “skull session,” took place as Jones left the hotel with dozens of teammates.

Nearly two hours later, Jones’ life would change. 

“Man Down” – 14:45

The fateful play came in the fourth quarter. 

On a second-and-1, then redshirt-freshman quarterback Barrett was clobbered on a run, pinning his legs beneath him. Jones said from his angle, the injury did not look serious.

“I personally thought it was a cramp at first,” Jones said. 

Barrett had suffered a fractured ankle.

Jones said he realized the severity of his injury once players frantically waved over trainers. Minutes later, Barrett was carted off the field, leaving the Buckeyes down to their third-string quarterback. 

“Next Man Up” 

Jones said despite losing yet another quarterback, the team’s morale was strong.  

“I don’t think it was a bad feeling,” Jones said. “There was a feeling of the next man up.”

Jones said the mindset wasn’t built overnight. The Buckeyes were already facing adversity, both inside and outside the facility, he said. 

An injury to starting quarterback Braxton Miller, who suffered a torn labrum, causing him to miss the entire season, tested the Buckeyes early on. 

In addition, the whereabouts of Ohio State’s defensive lineman Kosta Karageorge, who was reported missing four days prior, were still unknown.

Jones said the unforeseen circumstances affected the team personally, so it was imperative to always train with the “next man up” mentality. 

“We had other significant injuries in other positions where the next guy just picked up the baton and kept going,” Jones said.

“First Drive” – 14:30

Jones trotted onto the field. Alongside him was then-sophomore running back Ezekiel Elliot and wide receiver Michael Thomas

Until this point, the redshirt sophomore had only completed 57 percent of his passes, garnering 111 yards and two touchdowns with 14 pass attempts. 

Jones said this was mostly in “mop of duty.” Now thrust into the spotlight — in college football’s biggest rivalry — the stakes were even higher, he said. 

“We had no time to lick our wounds or sob over things or anything like that because we had a game to win,” Jones said “That was my focus.”

In the fourth quarter, the Buckeyes needed to prove their physicality after Corey Smith fell just 1 yard short on a tough catch-and-run at Michigan’s 40-yard line.

This time, Buckeye head coach Urban Meyer elected to go for it. 

“It was just a situation where he felt this is the win or lose the game right here,” Jones said. 

The call ultimately paid off as Elliot ran 44 yards untouched into the end zone, with fans celebrating the electric run. 

Jones said it was the offensive line that paved the way for Elliott’s run.

“We really put the game in their hands at that point,” he said. 

Jones’ first thought after Ohio State’s double-digit win against Michigan was about Barrett’s status.  Once confirmed, Jones knew what he had to do. 

After celebrating briefly with his family, the very next morning at 2 a.m., he was already studying the playbook, preparing for the Buckeyes’ Big Ten Championship game against the Wisconsin Badgers. 

Jones went on to lead the Buckeyes to victory over the Badgers, securing their first Big Ten Championship win in Indianapolis, and eventually to their historic win over the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl and the Oregon Ducks in the College Football Playoff National Championship. It was Ohio State’s first national championship since 2002.

On that fateful afternoon of Nov.  29, 2014, his incredible journey began, in a game against his fiercest rival, “TTUN.”