Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett played as well Saturday as one could have possibly, quixotically expected at Michigan State, passing for 300 yards, rushing for 86 more and combining to score five touchdowns in a 49-37 win that wasn’t even as close as the 12-point final margin indicates.
It was the type of performance only a select few college football players are capable of submitting. The number of qualified parties can be counted on one hand, maybe two.
When you find a quarterback good enough to (a) lead six consecutive touchdown drives (b) against a Top 15 defense (c) on the road (d) as a redshirt freshman, you hand him the keys to the offense and adjust your program’s future plans accordingly. You just do. You don’t consider sending him back to the bench the following season.
You start him even though you have Braxton Miller.
Miller, of course, is the two-time reigning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. He was favored to cap the three-peat in 2014, but he injured his shoulder in fall camp. Barrett passed Cardale Jones on the depth chart during spring practice and inherited the starting role.
The Buckeyes struggled to block for Barrett in his first career start against Navy, and Barrett himself imploded in the Week 2 loss against Virginia Tech. But ever since losing that game, Barrett has played like one of the four or five best quarterbacks in the country.
“Braxton is our quarterback (when he returns),” maintained Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer after…
Continue Reading: JT Barrett Makes Case to Start over Braxton Miller in 2015 in Michigan State Win
