NEW ORLEANS -- Working two jobs and with what he called "minimal" sleep, Ohio State offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Tom Herman hopes Thursday night's Sugar Bowl national semifinal isn't his last game with the Buckeyes before he takes over as head coach at the University of Houston.
He leaves behind a heck of a quarterback situation.
Braxton Miller was Big Ten Player of the Year in both 2012 and 2013. A shoulder injury suffered last August ended this, what would have been his senior season. Freshman J.T. Barrett took over and set the Big Ten single-season touchdown record before suffering a leg injury in the regular-season finale. Sophomore Cardale Jones made his first start in the Big Ten Championship Game and led Ohio State to a 59-0 win over Wisconsin that put the Buckeyes in the first-ever College Football Playoff.
Having too many quarterbacks is a rare issue, and one some coaches wouldn't mind having. But as the Buckeyes go forward, Herman's successor and Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer are going to have to pick a starting quarterback.
"Managing their different personalities will be an interesting challenge," Herman said Tuesday. "I know it took me a few years to really kind of even begin to get it figured out. The cool thing is, they all want to win. They're all really good competitors and I think there's a genuine care in that (quarterbacks) room for the other guys.
"They like each other. The competition is not adversarial. It's a brotherly competition. And when one sees another guy be successful, I think they're genuinely happy for each other."
Asked what advice he'd give his successor -- Meyer hasn't yet made a hire -- Herman said: "Each guy is very unique, and I know that's probably true anywhere but they all need to be kind of coached differently. They all have their buttons to be pushed and they're all motivated very differently from a coaching standpoint.
"They all want to win, they all want to succeed, they're all team guys. You can yell like crazy at Cardale and he actually likes that. Braxton, you have to put your arm around him a little bit and kind of whisper in his ear because he's been the big dog for a long time and you want to make sure you don't embarrass him."
Both Miller and Barrett are on the trip. Neither participated in Sugar Bowl Media Day interviews held Tuesday morning.
The Palm Beach Post reported Tuesday that Miller has a list of schools he's interested in via a potential transfer and that Florida State is on that list. That conflicts with what Miller's father told the Columbus Dispatch earlier this month when he said he sees his son returning for one more season at Ohio State.
"Unless something drastic changes, that's his plan," Kevin Miller said. "That's why he went to Ohio State."
Earlier this season, Meyer said Miller would be Ohio State's quarterback but he softened his stance after Barrett got comfortable and led Ohio State to an 11-1 regular season.
"Competition brings out the best, and I'm really excited to have two really good quarterbacks next year," Meyer said in November. "That's the plan. I think they're both excellent quarterbacks. Excellent quarterbacks. And we'll worry about that day when it comes."
That was before Jones had ever played a significant snap. A 22-year-old sophomore, Jones threw for 257 yards and three touchdowns in the Big Ten Championship Game.
Miller graduated earlier this month. If he chooses to transfer, he'll be eligible to play in 2015.
He could also enter the NFL Draft. Miller hasn't spoken publicly this season, and it's unclear how far along he is with his rehab.
Jones has two years of eligibility remaining and Barrett has three. Both have already used redshirt seasons.
