The 2016 College Football Playoff semifinal between Ohio State and Clemson featured two quarterbacks with similar playing styles but opposite mindsets.
On the Clemson side, there was Heisman finalist Deshaun Watson, who was known for his willingness to challenge defenders and try to fit the ball into tight windows. Watson's aggressiveness through the air led to an ACC-high 17 interceptions, but also resulted in a conference-best 41 touchdown passes as the Tigers won the 2016 national title.
On Ohio State's side was J.T. Barrett, who was criticized at times for being conservative and holding onto the ball too long in the pocket. While he ended up sharing the Chicago Tribune Silver Football with Penn State's Saquon Barkley, Barrett's Buckeyes were blanked in the Fiesta Bowl, 31-0.
Entering his senior season, Barrett is set to play under his third position coach in Ryan Day, who spent the last two seasons coaching quarterbacks in the NFL. In addition to bringing experience from the professional level, Barrett said his new quarterbacks coach is teaching his players to play with a different mindset behind center.
"When Coach Day came in, he was talking about how in the NFL, everybody is covered. I was like, 'Why would you throw the ball if everybody is covered?' Guys are not always going to be wide open," Barrett said. "You have to give them an opportunity to touch the ball. That means sometimes they are going to make some catches for you, and there are going to be some ugly throws and it's not going to be perfect."
Barrett admitted that the new mindset Day wants the Ohio State quarterbacks to play with was not easy to get used to at first.
"I never thought about it (like that) before. If there is a (defender) draped all over my guy, to me, that man is covered so I am not throwing the ball," Barrett said. "Now, the mindset is different from the quarterback perspective. You have to understand that sometimes that is as much as you are going to get. (There might be) a guy hanging on (a receiver's) arm and it is 3rd-and-10, you have to put it on his right shoulder because that is as open as that guy is going to get."
Redshirt junior wide receiver Terry McLaurin said Aug. 3 that he has noticed Barrett giving the receivers more chances to make plays in practice, something he said he is excited about.
"I’m not saying the previous QB coach and offensive coordinator weren’t good at what they did, but (now) there is more clarity. You know where the ball is going to be every single time," McLaurin said. "J.T. is doing a good job of giving us 50/50 balls. You see other schools, they give their guys a chance. As a wide receiver, that is all you want. I am out there yelling every single day, just give me a chance. Then it’s on us.”
In order to make the throws into tight windows, any quarterback has to be accurate. Barrett's calling card during his freshman season in 2014 was 'The Distributor,' because of his ability to spread the ball to different players accurately all over the field. His completion percentage that season was 64.6, the best in the Big Ten.
His completion percentage dipped in 2015 to 63.3 and dropped again in 2016 as he finished with a 61.5 percentage.
— CFB Film Room (@CFBFilmRoom) July 2, 2017
Following Ohio State's 15th practice of fall camp, however, head coach Urban Meyer said Barrett's accuracy was one of the areas the fifth-year senior has improved the most.
"His accuracy and just his energy level right now is incredible. He's providing that energy for everybody," Meyer said Monday. "He's always done that, but I can tell that this is – he's got complete ownership and everything going on in that offense, his relationship with Ryan Day is incredible, and his skill set or the thing he's most improved at right now is accuracy. Very accurate player right now."
Day said in addition to accuracy, he has seen Barrett improve his release, with the ball getting to receivers faster and on time.
"I am proud of the command he has had of the offense and the decision making. From practice-to-practice, the ball is coming out of his hand quicker," Day said Monday. "He is confident in what he is doing. The ball is coming out on time right now and you can tell he has a rhythm about him when he is playing the position."
