ESPN obviously has a number of graphics and stories ready so that no matter how tonight's national title game proceeds, they'll be ready with the instant analysis. If Ohio State loses and substitute QB Cardale Jones plays poorly—which doesn't look likely, given how well Jones is doing—ESPN will focus on his inexperience. How do we know this? Because a story (minus a hed) has been up on ESPN.com for over an hour with the above graphic, and this text:

Cardale Jones was spectacular in leading Ohio State to wins in the Big Ten Championship Game and Sugar Bowl; however, his inexperience proved too much to overcome on the biggest stage. Jones is one of only four players with fewer than a dozen starts entering a national championship game. None emerged with a title.


Whoops! Somebody better hit the "unpublish" button!

Update: About five minutes after we posted—at least an hour after ESPN's story went up—they pulled it down. I've dropped a screenshot of it in the comments.


h/t @normankbeck