Against Rutgers, One Play Might Embody J.T. Barrett's Growth Above All Others

By Patrick Maks on October 20, 2014 at 8:35 am
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On the second of many drives that yielded many touchdowns in a demolition of Rutgers Saturday, it’s a play on 2nd-and-two in the first quarter that stands out above the rest when looking for a moment to embody the growth of quarterback J.T. Barrett — who’s grown from a wide-eyed redshirt freshman to the fulcrum of Ohio State’s ridiculously efficient offense.

Leading by a touchdown and on the cusp of scoring another one, the call from the sideline to Barrett was some sort of read option pass on the Scarlet Knights 26-yard line.

Here is how it unfolded: After a faking the handoff to senior running back Rod Smith, who promptly then gallops right to the flats, Barrett pulls the ball back. His eyes snap downfield. He plants his feet. Left guard Billy Price rips and pulls as the offensive line builds a wall to the right. There’s a problem, though.

To the left, Rutgers senior linebacker Kevin Snyder is charging off the edge on a blitz. He almost looks shocked that no one has tried to neutralize him, but he continues full steam ahead anyway.

Barrett can feel the pressure, but he does not fear it. He drifts slightly behind the mountain of blockers kick-stepping and punching away defenders. His eyes swivel across the field, but no one is open. And Snyder is closing in.

What happens next is the moment that defines the difference between J.T. Barret now and J.T. Barrett five weeks ago ago. Had this happened against Virginia Tech — his second game as a starting quarterback — he surely would’ve been thrown to the turf.  

Instead, Barrett spins away from the linebacker, his would-be assailant, and makes him look silly. He runs left toward the open field, still looking downfield to throw the ball. Finally, he tucks it and sprints ahead for 13 yards and a first down. A few plays later, the Buckeyes score and go up, 14-0, in a game where they simply gut Rutgers from start to finish.

It’s little things like this that reflect the transformation of Barrett — who completed 19-of-31 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 107 yards on seven carries Saturday — from an unproven commodity into a big-time player for an Ohio State team that’s humming along back into the national picture.

Barrett likes to downplay his sudden ascension to being a local celebrity: “There’s really not too much difference, except for a lot of people know me now.”

But he’s the catalyst for an offense that has dropped at least 50 points and 500 yards in four-straight games.

“I mean, football’s definitely changed being that, last year, I didn’t do anything,” Barrett said. “Just scout team, getting the defense ready to play. Now, it’s trying to get the offense better each and every week and keep things rolling.”

Because if Barrett continues on a trajectory that's watched him gain more command of the offense each and every week, Ohio State could storm into a nighttime bout against Michigan State Nov. 8 in East Lansing like the team it was projected to be at the start of the season. It doesn't happen without a drastic growth spurt in a quarterback that was mauled against Virginia Tech. 

"I think back then, Week Two, it was more of not being as prepared as I should've been. I blame myself for that. I didn't take our preparation — I took it too lightly, I'll say that," Barrett said.

"I was still preparing and doing normal things, but I just didn't prepare myself like I should have. Now I'm learning from that and just trying to get better." 

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