Urban Meyer knows he needs J.T. Barrett playing well for Ohio State to win football games. Any program in the country would be glad to have the redshirt junior calling plays and orchestrating things at the line of scrimmage. That isn't news.
But Barrett's injury history—a torn ACL in high school and broken ankle in 2014—works against him and draws into question how much the Buckeyes use him in their rushing attack. Meyer and offensive coordinator Ed Warinner stressed a desire to call less designed quarterback runs in 2016 in an effort to keep Barrett off the injury report. He is too essential to what Ohio State wants to do this season.
“He's got the keys,” Meyer said on Monday. “He's real good at that. Real good at that.”
Barrett is excellent at making the quick decisions on whether or not to pull it on a read option or take off if his receivers don't create separation down the field before the pocket collapses. Admittedly, he was not the best at going through his progression last season and even in 2014 as a first-time starter. He is improving in that area this season and his numbers support that — 650 yards, 10 touchdowns and one interception all while completing 67 percent of his passes in leading the No. 2 Buckeyes to a 3-0 start.
“I think I do a pretty good job of getting down but then there's also some hits that I probably don't need to take.”– J.T. Barrett
Barrett also has 39 rushes to his name for 159 yards and three touchdowns. The three rushing scores lead the team, while 39 carries are second only to Mike Weber's 54. Ironically, the play he broke his ankle on against Michigan in 2014 came when he elected to keep the ball on an option. A bad decision cost him his postseason after an incredible 12-game stretch where he accounted for 45 touchdowns, a Big Ten record.
Barrett ran the ball 23 times against Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl for 96 yards, the steady hand alongside the monster that was Ezekiel Elliott (four touchdowns against the Fighting Irish). All offseason Meyer and Warinner said that was too many carries for who is their best and most important player in 2016. The 17 carries he had at Oklahoma are the most in a game this season, one more than what he did against Tulsa when he ran for 55 yards and two touchdowns.
A year ago, Barrett ran 11, 13, 16, 15, 19 and 23 times in games where he served as the primary or starting quarterback. Thus, starting with the Penn State win and ending with the Fiesta Bowl. That averages to just more than 16 carries per game, which is three rushes more than what he averaged through three games this season. Against Bowling Green, he ran it just six times while throwing six touchdown passes. He didn't need to run it as much as the Buckeyes coasted to a 77-10 victory.
Does Ohio State need Barrett to run the ball to win? It seems like it, as long as he stays healthy. That is a point of emphasis between him and his coaches now that the Buckeyes prepare to host Rutgers to kick off a nine-game stretch of Big Ten games.
“That's starting to come up a little bit being that we're getting to the meat of the season. That's something that I've gotta be more aware of, keep that on my mind,” Barrett said. “I think I do a pretty good job of getting down but then there's also some hits that I probably don't need to take.”
Ohio State is not afraid to call whatever plays it feels it needs to win a game. Barrett is terrific in space and has enough speed to move the sticks either on scrambles or designed runs. Plus, if Warinner dials up a quarterback draw or counter (a Q-run, as Meyer often calls it) it adds an extra blocker in whoever is at running back for that snap. Couple that with Barrett's ability as a runner and it adds another difficult element for defenders to deal with as they try to stop Ohio State's offense.
“He's the best we have ever had as far as it's always—some of them might look like quarterback runs,” Meyer said. “I mean he goes back, if he sees a slice and it's not—no, he's terrific at getting us in the manageable situations and keeping us on schedule.”
Barrett did that well in the win at Oklahoma, scrambling when needed to pick up a few yards and get out of harm's way. It helped Ohio State face 2nd-and-6 instead of 2nd-and-10 or worse if the defense came up with a sack. The Sooners only sacked him once.
“It might look like that he's running or something but he's just escaping and getting positive yardage,” Meyer said.
Barrett's comfort as both the unquestioned leader and starter at quarterback is evident through three games as much as his improvement with Beck and understanding what Ohio State wants him to do within the offense. Meyer has gone on record numerous times that his quarterback must be a Heisman Trophy candidate so Ohio State has the best chance to win. Barrett certainly is that.
“This is my fourth year within the offense and I think with whoever's surrounding around me, I'm just trying to make them better,” Barrett said. “I think whether it was last year or this year, that's always been my mindset is to raise the level of the players around me. I think it's just a different level of what we're trying to do offensively, the why going into plays and I think that's something that has helped.”
Ohio State's offense put up strong numbers the first three games of the season and its quarterback is a big reason why. He is the driver of Meyer's machine, the face of the program and a strong leader. But keeping him healthy is of the utmost importance due to inexperience behind him in redshirt freshman Joe Burrow and true freshman Dwayne Haskins.
They just aren't on Barrett's level yet because they have not been in the program and offense for four years.
“I think one of the main things is get us in the best play possible,” Barrett said when asked about what is important to him when he breaks the huddle each week. “I think every play has a chance to be 1-0, that's how we talk about it in our quarterback room. Be 1-0 on every play, something that even when Coach (Tom) Herman was here we try to have that same mindset.
“With that, just try to win the play and then if you keep on having that mindset those wins are going to build up and next thing you know you're scoring touchdowns and we're winning the game ultimately at the end. I think that's one of the main things, win each play and then when a bad play happens try to forget about it, learn from it and go on.”
