It's often said of "game-managing" type quarterbacks that they don't have to win the game, all they have to do is not lose it. Don't turn the ball over, don't force things, don't make mistakes and you can rely on the rest of the team to be successful.
When Ohio State lost superstar quarterback Braxton Miller to a season-ending shoulder injury, it replaced him with one of those quarterbacks in J.T. Barrett. And in his first three collegiate starts, Barrett has flashed more good than bad.
He was efficient against Navy (12 for 15, 226 yards, two TDs); up-and-down in the loss to Virginia Tech (9 for 29, 219 yards, three interceptions) and lights out against and overmatched Kent State team (23 for 30, 312 yards, school-record six TDs).
"I think for the first three games of the season, a lot of it has to do with just learning on the fly so I feel like I’m progressing each week, Barrett said after the 66-0 against the Golden Flashes. "… Just trying to get better every week is the main thing."
There are no more easy non-conference games for the Buckeyes, however. They host a high-powered Cincinnati offense next weekend and then will jump into their Big Ten schedule. It will soon be Barrett's time to take over this team if it wants to play for a conference title.
When Ohio State had Miller, it had a weapon not many other teams in college football had, one that could bail it out of trouble and win a game by himself. Although Barrett is an entirely different player, will he need to be "Miller-like" at one point this season in his ability to win a game by himself? Probably.
“I think J.T.’s been great since Day 1. I’ve said it before, he’s poised, he’s a good leader, he stays calm in the huddle and he knows what he’s doing," junior offensive tackle Taylor Decker said Wednesday. "He’s a real football-savvy guy, real smart, leads the offense, knows the offense and the way he portrays himself out there is he’s confident in himself. If he’s confident in himself, we’re confident in him.”
It's obvious Barrett is not Miller. They're different players. But whether it be with his legs or his arms, there will likely be a point this year where Ohio State needs Barrett to make a play to win a football game.
"Coming in after Braxton, people expect you to do some crazy stuff, but I told myself 'I’m not Braxton, I’m J.T.,'" Barrett said after the Navy win. "So I just go out there and play my game and that definitely helps me.”
With each game Barrett plays, he gains more experience that will help him evolve into a better quarterback. The hope is that eventually pays off in a big way with a big play in a key situation for the Buckeyes.
"That’s the one thing Braxton told me. At first, everybody’s going to be flying around and you’re going to be really unsure and things like that,” Barrett said. "But as you go, it starts to slow down and that’s just the game experience. That’s the only way you get it. You don’t get it in practice or anything like that."
