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Watson over Barrett? It could be closer than many seem to think

+9 HS
buckeye phi's picture
August 31, 2016 at 6:24pm
52 Comments

There's been a great deal of preseason hype surrounding Deshaun Watson lately - and rightfully, so.  Unlike some players who are receiving a lot of attention (like a certain player from "That Team Up North"), much of it is well deserved based on Watson's actual on-the-field performance to date - not just on his enormous potential.

If they could, surely any college football program would gladly trade their current quarterback for Watson in a heartbeat.  Well, perhaps not every program.  For instance, a closer look at Ohio State's JT Barrett may just cause one to reconsider that stance a bit.  

Since Barrett didn't actually start for the Buckeyes until well in to the 2015 campaign, a season-long statistical comparison with Watson is impossible.  In fact, for a variety of reasons, Barrett seemed to be just finding his 2014-like groove quite late in the season.  He appeared to be almost completely back in sync by the time the final two games were played, however.  

Even though Clemson was a play-off team and Ohio State was not - interestingly enough, the final two defenses Barrett squared off against are fairly comparable to the last two defenses Watson faced. 

According to NCAA statistics, Alabama (Clemson's opponent in the National Championship game) finished the season ranked third nationally in total defense.  The Buckeyes' final regular season foe, Michigan, closed out their 2015 campaign ranked fourth.  

Oklahoma, Clemson's opponent in the national championship semi-final finished the season ranked 39th nationally in total defense.  Ohio State closed out their season in the Fiesta Bowl verses Notre Dame and their forty-fifth ranked defense.  

As most college football fans are aware, Watson performed well in his team's victory over Oklahoma as well as in their loss to Alabama.  He completed 16 of his 31 passing attempts (51.6%) for 187 yards while adding 145 rushing yards to his total.  Against the much tougher Crimson Tide defense, he was more impressive - going 30 for 47 passing (63.8%) for 405 yards with an additional 73 yards on the ground.  

The Buckeye offense was rather notoriously less pass-oriented than most in 2015.  But Barrett managed to go 9 for 15 (60.0%) for 113 yards verses the Wolverines - with a rather impressive 139 yards rushing.   He completed 19 of 31 passing attempts (61.3%) for 211 yards against the Fighting Irish - adding another 96 yards on the ground.  

Clearly, Barrett's total passing yardage is somewhat lacking in comparison - but his percentages were actually a little better than Watson's.  Plus, he rushed for more yardage with a higher average per attempt.  It's not as if Watson's last two performances completely blew Barrett's out of the water, by any means.  

Ohio State's Head Coach, Urban Meyer, has repeatedly said this year's offense will be more balanced than last season's.  The Buckeyes went from one of the nation's most perfectly balanced offenses in 2014 to one of the least balanced in '15.  Featuring the eventual #4 selection in last spring's NFL draft at running back, they became extremely run-heavy last season.  And (with a ranking of 100th nationally) they were obviously rather inept in the passing game.  Assuming there is a return to better offensive balance, Barrett's passing totals are certain to increase - perhaps, rather dramatically.  

Of course, he may not reach Watson's level in that regard - but he may not end up being too far off.  It's also probably safe to say neither quarterback will be asked to run the ball as much this year as they did last season.  They're each far too valuable to their respective team's long-term goals to be exposed to so much risk unless it's absolutely necessary.   

Regardless of the numbers, the most important assets both quarterbacks bring to their teams may be less tangible in nature.  They are each pretty much the epitome of what a coach is looking for in a college quarterback. 

Both Meyer and Clemson's Head Coach, Dabo Swinney, have been known to rave about the leadership each player brings to his team.  Both coaches gush about the competitive spirit each player possesses, as well.  And as the above statistics clearly indicate, both Watson and Barrett easily qualify for that "dual-threat" moniker so many college coaches value in the sport's present era.  

So, while most of the preseason accolades are justifiably being heaped upon Deshaun Watson - as the beginning of their season nears, Ohio State fans should be quite pleased with how they're situated at quarterback.  By the end of the season, they may find JT Barrett and his Buckeyes will be taking a back seat to no one -

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