COLUMBUS, Ohio — For the second consecutive year, all eyes were on the signal-callers at the Ohio State Buckeyes’ spring game.
But as opposed to a year ago, the star of the show won’t have a direct impact on the upcoming season.
At least that’s the plan.
With his competition with former teammate Cardale Jones, who is now just limited to halftime entertainment, J.T. Barrett knows his starting job is safe, as evidenced by the Buckeyes’ quarterback playing just one half of Saturday’s exhibition. But behind Barrett, a battle to be his backup—and possibly, his successor—has raged on throughout the spring, although based on Saturday, it may not have been much of a competition.
Quarterbacking the Gray team against Barrett’s—and eventually Stephen Collier’s—Scarlet squad, Joe Burrow stole the show at Ohio State’s annual exhibition. Playing his snaps as a quarterback inside of Ohio Stadium, the redshirt freshman looked impressive, completing 14 of his 23 attempts for 196 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-17 victory for the Gray in front of a national spring-game record 100,189 fans.
“Joe Burrow has been coming on,” Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer said after the game. “Last year, I had my concerns. Just arm strength, release, twitch, ability to run the ball because you have to do that. He’s gotten better. He’s a grinder….you see him starting to grow.”
Based on the playing time divvied up between the two backup quarterbacks heading into…
Continue Reading: Ohio State Spring Game Shows Buckeyes in Good Hands at QB After J.T. Barrett
