Former Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones, now with the Buffalo Bills, entered the 2014 Big Ten championship as a relatively unknown commodity outside of "Notorious tweeter with a cannon for an arm."
Thrust into mop-up duty against Michigan when breakout redshirt freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett broke his ankle late in the fourth quarter, Jones entered the title fight having completed 10 of 17 throws for two touchdowns on the year.
In a way, it gave Ohio State the benefit of the unknown. Jim Tressel recruited Jones, who used a year at Fork Union Military (his roommate: New Orleans Saints receiver Michael Thomas) to mature and put a year of separation between the jewel quarterback of the 2011 class, Huber Heights' five-star Braxton Miller.