In perhaps the biggest game of his five-year career in Columbus, Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett finally delivered on the big stage.
Maligned for his recent big game meltdowns against Clemson, Penn State last year and Oklahoma recently. Barrett’s 33-of-39 328-yard four-touchdown outburst may have earned him a ticket to New York City.
Since the Week 2 31-16 loss to the Sooners, Barrett has been on a proverbial tear in passing for 1,679 yards and thrown 22 touchdowns. To say that Barrett is on a roll, is an understatement, to say that he is out to prove himself to be one of the best quarterbacks ever to line up under center in Columbus may be more than close to the truth.
They say that the past helps define one’s future. After suffering a humiliating 31-0 shutout loss to the eventual national champion Clemson Tigers, the whispers began to grow that Barrett was done, wasn’t good enough, that incoming QB’s such as hotshot Tate Martell and big-armed Dwayne Haskins should take his spot.
Heck, there was even talk of Barrett wishing to follow his former offensive coordinator in Tom Herman and transferring to Texas and playing for his home state Longhorns. Remember that?
Yeah, me neither.
Next to perhaps Baker Mayfield, Josh Rosen and Jalen Hurts, there no hotter college quarterback in college football balling on Saturdays right now than Barrett. And you know what even scarier part is? He’s finally beginning to see his full potential in new offensive coordinator—and former Indiana head coach—Kevin Wilson’s system.
He may not have the weapons of the past in Ezequiel Elliott, Devin Smith, Jalin Marshall, Michal Thomas to work with, biut it appears that Barrett has some new weapons of his own now in J.K. Dobbins, Mike Weber, Parris Campbell and Johnnie Dixon to utilize.
While his arm strength is something that will need to improve upon at the next level, Barrett’s accuracy is tailor-made for a West Coast offense.
For now, their biggest threat to conference supremacy has been slain in Penn State, and with big road games at Iowa, home against the always-tough Michigan State Spartans and the season finale against archrival, Michigan in Ann Arbor, all of the talk of Barrett falling shot in the big moment, can finally be put to rest.