However you feel about the fact J.T. Barrett is going to return to Ohio State for his senior season, you cannot deny his place in the annals of the program record book. Barrett is already the owner of 21 school records:
- Career touchdowns responsible for — 100
- Career touchdown passes — 69
- Career passing yards per game — 177.3
- Career completions — 529
- Completions in a season — 233
- Touchdowns responsible for in a season — 45 (also a Big Ten record)
- Passing touchdowns in a season — 34
- Total yards in a season — 3,772
- Touchdown passes in a game — 6 (twice)
- Touchdowns responsible for in a game — 7
- Consecutive passes completed — 12
- Season passing efficiency — 169.8
- Most wins by a first-year starting QB — 11
- Average total offensive yards, season — 314.3
- Average total offensive yards, career — 249.2
- Games gaining 200 or more yards of total offense, season — 11
- Games gaining 300 or more yards of total offense, season — 7
- Games gaining 400 or more yards of total offense, season — 1
- Games gaining 200 or more yards of total offense, career — 26
- Rushing yards by a quarterback, game — 189
- Longest rush by an Ohio State quarterback — 86
*All stats from Ohio State athletics site
That lengthy list of laurels plus the fact he is 26-4 as a starting quarterback in his career, is a two-time winner of the Big Ten Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year and 2016 winner of the Silver Football as the conference's Most Valuable Player provides more than enough ammo to make an argument that Barrett is the best at his position in Ohio State history.
Fans complain about his spotty play this past season despite leading the Buckeyes to the College Football Playoff, though the fact Urban Meyer swiftly made changes to his offensive coaching staff provide enough belief that the coach has faith his quarterback can return to 2014 form when he set a Big Ten record for touchdowns in a season under the correct tutelage and a more consistent offensive line.
With a nod to Vico, here is where Barrett sits on the totem pole of Ohio State's passing records for a game, season and career.
| Game | Season | Career | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PLAYER | YEAR | YARDS | COMP-ATT (TD/INT) | PLAYER | YEAR | YARDS | COMP-ATT (TD/INT) | PLAYER | YEARS | YARDS | COMP-ATT (TD/INT) |
| Art Schlichter | 1981 | 458 | 31-52 (2/0) | Joe Germaine | 1998 | 3,330 | 230-384 (25/7) | Art Schlichter | 1978-1981 | 7,547 | 497-951 (50/46) |
| Joe Germaine | 1997 | 378 | 29-43 (2/2) | Bobby Hoying | 1995 | 3,269 | 211-341 (29/12) | Bobby Hoying | 1992-1995 | 7,232 | 498-858 (57/35) |
| Greg Frey | 1989 | 362 | 20-31 (3/1) | J.T. Barrett | 2014 | 2,834 | 203-314 (34/10) | J.T. Barrett | 2014— | 6,381 | 529-840 (69/21) |
| Bobby Hoying | 1995 | 354 | 24-35 (3/1) | Art Schlichter | 1981 | 2,551 | 183-350 (17/10) | Joe Germaine | 1996-1998 | 6,370 | 439-741 (56/20) |
| J.T. Barrett | 2016 | 349 | 21-31 (6/1) | Troy Smith | 2006 | 2,542 | 203-311 (30/6) | Greg Frey | 1987-1990 | 6,316 | 443-835 (39/37) |
As Vico mentioned last month, the only record out of reach on that table is passing yards in a single game. Ohio State does not run an offense predicated on throwing the ball first or anywhere near 52 times in a single game like Art Schlichter did in 1981. He could very easily get to No. 2 on that list, however, provided he aligns with what new quarterbacks coach Ryan Day and assumed new offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson wants beginning with the 2017 season opener at Indiana on Aug. 31.
As long as Barrett stays healthy, however, you can pretty much give him the career passing yards record. In what many consider a down year for him throwing the ball this past season, he finished with 2,555 yards through the air. Half of that total in 2017 will push him over the 8,000-yard mark for his career and well past Schlichter. Chances are good he would set the single-season record for passing yards too, considering his best year throwing the ball came when he missed the final three games of 2014 with a broken ankle and still fell short by only 496 yards.
Barrett lost his hold on the career completion percentage mark in 2016, however, as Chris mentioned in December. He began 2016 as the school's all-time leader with a 64.2 percent mark but saw that number dip to 62.9 percent. Todd Boeckman is back out front by a half-percent at 63.4 percent. Another solid year should keep Barrett right in the thick of setting that record.
Barrett should also pass Schlichter as the school's all-time leader in total offense for a career very early in 2017. After amassing 125 total yards in Ohio State's 31-0 loss to Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl, Barrett now sits less than a handful away from setting a new mark in this category. Schlichter's career total as the school's all-time leader is 8,850 yards. Barret has 8,846.
Other records Barrett could conceivably break in 2017 if he avoids injury and can mesh with the new offensive minds: Career passing attempts (trails Schlichter by 111), career wins as a starting quarterback (trails Schlichter by 10) and completions in a game (Barrett's best is 28, three behind Joe Germaine's record 31).
Let's also not forget that Barrett has a chance to become the first Buckeye quarterback ever to finish 4-0 against Michigan.
So yeah, get used to hearing about Barrett setting new school records in 2017.
