It's a game of which J.T. Barrett needs no reminder. Virginia Tech's legendary defensive coordinator, Bud Foster, let slip his dogs of war in Columbus by stuffing two extra defenders in the box against Ohio State and daring its redshirt freshman quarterback and unproven skill players to beat the Hokies.
While J.T. Barrett and the offense had its flashes, it was ultimately stymied by a Bear/Cover 0 defense. Barrett limped to a 9 of 29 performance with three interceptions. Bud Foster and Virginia Tech left with the upset victory.
And because football is a copycat sport, it was assured Ohio State's future opponents would try similar tactics against Ohio State. They have, but unlike Virginia Tech, it hasn't panned out for the likes of Kent State, Cincinnati or Maryland.
As Fox Sports Bruce Feldman noted: since the nightmare against Virginia Tech, J.T. Barrett is completing 75% of his passes with a sterling 8:0 touchdown pass to interception ratio.
Feldman was also able to speak with co-offensive coordinator Tom Herman, who shed some light on Barrett's evolution:
"It sounds cliche, but for a guy like him, his biggest thing was to stop trying to be perfect," Herman told FOX Sports on Sunday, adding that young QBs tend to not trust themselves and get stuck in a middle ground of, “Should I throw it or not?” And by the time they decide, it's already too late.
"He was hesitant,” Herman said. “We told him, 'Dude, don't be perfect. Nobody's perfect. You didn't luck into this job. Just trust yourself. Hey, just pull the trigger, man.'"
Another adjustment for Barrett has been staying a little deeper into the pocket to enable him to see the field better. QBs sometime end up hitching and gaining too much ground. Herman likened it to a crow-hop in baseball or where the young QB is trying to amp up too much to zing the ball like the strong-armed Miller does.
Kent State, Cincinnati and Maryland, however, don't have the talent Virginia Tech does. While other coordinators with lesser talent might now be hesitant to deploy the look against OSU, a talented defense like Michigan State's might still fancy their chances playing a similar style.
But Barrett won't be a redshirt freshman in the midst of his second collegiate start by then. He also won't need to be perfect to perform at the level Ohio State needs in order to snatch a W out of East Lansing.
And judging by his recent performances, it's a lesson J.T. Barrett took to heart.
