Cardale Jones took to his Twitter account Thursday promising a “life changing decision at 4pm.”

Then at 4:17pm, the Ohio State sophomore quarterback said his decision was "simple" and he'll be staying in school, returning for his junior year with the Buckeyes.

"The NFL, after three games, was out of the question for me," Jones said live during a Thursday afternoon press conference at his old high school.

He added: "I don't know why you guys made this such a big deal. It was really simple for me [to return to OSU]."

Jones's decision came three days after he led the Buckeyes to a convincing win over Oregon in the College Football Playoff national championship win. It was only his third victory as starting quarterback for the Buckeyes, after taking over for J.T. Barrett, who broke his ankle during the Ohio State-Michigan game on November 29.

Jones responded by leading Ohio State to a Big Ten title and then upset of No. 1 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day, saving the victory over Oregon for the cherry on top. By returning to school, Jones acknowledged that Ohio State coach Urban Meyer didn't promise him the starting QB job and that it must be earned. He also stressed education as a reason to stay in school.

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(Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)