SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — J.T. Barrett was in the process of finishing a long talk with his father, when the elder Barrett said a phrase he'd repeated many times before. Finally, it began to resonate with the Ohio State quarterback who failed to win back his job after enduring a broken ankle.
"My dad would talk to me all the time, 'How about you have fun?'" Barrett said Tuesday.
Barrett lost the Ohio State starting quarterback job to Cardale Jones out of fall camp in August, still recovering from the injury he suffered nine months earlier. It was a bit peculiar at the time, but the normally cool, calm and collected redshirt sophomore admitted he wasn't in a place mentally to recapture the magic that had led him to account for a Big Ten record 45 touchdowns in 2014.
"It was one of those deals, trying to be perfect or trying to make a crazy play and force things instead of being myself and playing relaxed," Barrett said. "I think it did affect me at first, but I learned just to ignore that and it turned out OK."
Barrett eventually fully seized the starting job back from Jones in the Penn State game Oct. 17, even keeping it despite a one-game suspension for a Halloween OVI citation. Two weeks prior to the game with the Nittany Lions, the switch flipped in his head.
"Just got to the point where I was like, 'You know what, I'm not playing very good.' Just being honest with myself," Barrett said. "Cardale was playing pretty good. So it was just like, 'How about you start playing pretty well for yourself?'
"I was getting mad at myself, going home and watching film and things like that. Was one of those type deals, knowing myself that I could play better and just try to help the team at that point. It was almost like, I cared about the situation but I was beating myself up over it."
“I was getting mad at myself, going home and watching film and things like that. Was one of those type deals, knowing myself that I could play better and just try to help the team at that point. It was almost like, I cared about the situation but I was beating myself up over it.”– J.T. Barrett
Barrett's broken ankle caused him to miss spring practice, though he did as much as he could on the mental side of things while rehabbing. The halt and eventual backtracking in his progression showed up when he and Jones went head-to-head in camp.
"He did everything right, but I think he wanted it to be back like he never left and when you get hurt and you don’t play in the playoffs and you don’t go through spring ball, it’s been a while since you’ve played the game and it takes awhile to get that game speed and confidence back," offensive coordinator Ed Warinner said Tuesday of Barrett.
Barrett knew his potential and knew he could play better than he was when he got shots early in the season against Hawai'i, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan. The Buckeyes were in the midst of a coaching transition after the departure of Tom Herman to Houston and hire of Tim Beck as his replacement. Plus, Urban Meyer was trying to figure out what to do with all the talent on offense and two viable, successful quarterbacks. Not to mention a new toy on the outside in Braxton Miller.
It was hard on everyone. But as Barrett looks back at it, he gets annoyed with himself.
"I don't have a lot of crazy highlight plays like a receiver would coming over somebody or a running back breaking through like nine tackles," Barrett said. "As a quarterback, you put the ball where it needs to be and you scramble. I guess those could be your highlight plays, but I was just trying to force things. It was frustrating.
"I thought that maybe (making big plays) was going to separate me or something. Who makes the bigger plays instead of just who runs the offense better. That was my thought at the beginning of the year. Then too, I was coming off the injury so I was thinking, 'I gotta do something to get me back. I gotta put some spice in my life or something.'"
He's back in the saddle now however, lurching over the suspension speed bump and regaining his composure along with the rest of the offense in the season finale, a 42-13 drubbing of rival Michigan.
With Notre Dame on the horizon Friday and Barrett knowing full well he's the starter for the 2016 season, he's ready to continue back in his progression as a quarterback within the offense. And to have fun doing it, too.
"I'm at a better place. So this is crazy about it: Last year when we would win, it was kind of like I was relieved," Barrett said. "I was relieved, almost like I had built up this stress or something. Then when we won, it was like, 'Ah, I can exhale.' Then this year I actually enjoyed some of the wins, it was cool. Just being relaxed, having fun, it's going to be a good time I think for us as a program. I know it's been a good time for me."
