By the time his career is finished, J.T. Barrett will hold a number of records at Ohio State. The one he set Saturday against Rutgers was just another bullet point added to his resume.
With a second-quarter touchdown pass to Marcus Baugh, Barrett moved past Bobby Hoying to become Ohio State's all-time leader in touchdown passes. Hoying's old record was 57, and after Barrett's four-touchdown day, the redshirt junior currently has 59 career touchdown passes.
"I think it's just a great honor being that our tradition at Ohio State here is so rich and we do, just thinking about football, there's so many great players that have been through Ohio State," Barrett said after the game. "It's kind of a surreal type of thing. That's the crazy thing. I was just trying to do my part and do the best I can for the team and with that came a record. Just grateful for it."
Barrett's head coach also realized the magnitude of his quarterback's accomplishment.
"I'm an Ohio State fan so I know all the great quarterbacks at Ohio State, all the great players," Meyer said. "And to see J.T. Barrett throw [59] in 21 starts, averaging almost three touchdowns per game, that's just incredible feat when you consider the school that he broke that at."
A Trio of Firsts
Terry McLaurin, Parris Campbell and Johnnie Dixon were all members of Ohio State's 2014 recruiting class at the wide receiver position. Now in their third years in the program, all three found the end zone for the very first time in Saturday's win over Rutgers.
McLaurin made a spectacular catch in the corner of the end zone in the second quarter, Campbell scored on a 5-yard run in the third and Dixon capped the scoring for the Buckeyes with a 5-yard run in the fourth quarter.
"I just gotta thank my teammates and my unit. They push me every day just to go there and make that play," McLaurin said afterward of his score. "I’ve just been waiting for one opportunity to go out there and show what I can do. Everybody was so happy for me on the sideline and I’m just happy to be a part of all this.”
Ohio State scored eight touchdowns in the 58-0 win. All eight were scored by a different player. In addition to McLaurin, Campbell and Dixon, Dontre Wilson, Marcus Baugh, Curtis Samuel, Mike Weber and Demario McCall also found paydirt.
McLaurin noted afterward he's roommates with both Samuel and Campbell.
"We all scored today and we’re going to enjoy that one tonight," he said. "We showed up and made plays.”
Weber Breaks Free
Ohio State redshirt freshman running back Mike Weber had been a little frustrated after each of the first three games as he only had one touchdown. Weber felt he got tripped up a few times and that cost him additional opportunities to find the end zone.
The Detroit native racked up a career-high 144 yards against Rutgers, and he even got that "big play monkey" off his back in the third quarter with his 46-yard touchdown run. Weber took a handoff from Barrett, sprinted left and then directly upfield to find the end zone untouched.
"My eyes got big," Weber said of the play. "I was just following my blocks. They opened holes and this one play, the hole was so wide open that I couldn't believe it. Gotta give props to my O-line."
Schiano Addresses Accident
Ohio State co-defensive coordinator Greg Schiano was in the news this week, but not because he was facing one of his former teams. Schiano was involved in a recent traffic accident in which he hit a bicyclist.
Schiano was charged Wednesday with failure to control his vehicle, a minor misdemeanor, and was fined $55 in addition to $97 in court fees.
Meyer said Schiano was "devastated" by what had happened, but Schiano himself had not been made available for comment since the incident. After the Buckeyes' victory over the Scarlet Knights on Saturday, however, he addressed it, briefly, for the first time.
“In respect to him and to the whole situation I’m just going to say it really was an awful accident and one that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy," he said. "But it happened and I’m glad that he’s progressing and he and his family remain in our prayers.
"That’s what I’m going to leave it at.”
