Having already examined team records that could be on the brink in part one of this series, today we turn our focus to individual player records on the watch list as the Buckeyes get set to kick off the 2017 slate.
As you might expect, looking at individual player records means we'll spend the bulk of characters in this article looking at the roughly 200 school marks J.T. Barrett will claim in addition to the no less than 23 records he already owns.
Before we jump into Barrett's astounding list of targets, let's first examine the handful of school records targeted by Billy Price, Parris Campbell and maybe Sean Nuernberger.
CONSECUTIVE STARTS - CAREER
It probably won't shock you that Luke Fickell owns Ohio State's all-time record for consecutive starts with 50 as part of a career spanning 1993-96.
Fickell was a bulldog at noseguard and nothing highlighted that fact more than when he played the 1997 Rose Bowl with a torn left pectoral muscle.
If health isn't a factor, Fickell's record will fall this season as Billy Price currently sits at 41 consecutive starts meaning he's in line to set a new standard when Ohio State hosts Michigan State on November 11.
KICKOFF RETURN YARDS - SEASON
Parris Campbell, the receiver, may be the chief example of Urban's penchant for hyperbole but as a kickoff return man, any hype about Campbell's effectiveness-to-date is justified.
Last season, Campbell racked up the third-most kickoff return yards in a single-season in OSU history with 538.
The all-time leader, however is Jordan Hall with 683 kickoff return yards back in 2011.
If Campbell can get his hands on just a few more kickoffs this fall, he's got an outside shot of setting a new school mark.
KICKOFF RETURN YARDS PER ATTEMPT - CAREER
Campbell is also third all-time with a solid 27.8 yards per kickoff return.
A man you probably haven't heard of, Tom Barrington, put up a ridiculous 30.4 yard average during his playing days spanning the 1963-65 seasons.
Again, it'll take a special season from Campbell to break Barrington's mark but is at least a realistic possibility.
EXTRA POINT ATTEMPTS - CAREER
Whether or not Sean Nuernberger can win and hang on to the starting placekicker gig appears far from a lock but if it does happen, the redshirt junior could own a handful of school marks by season's end.
Currently, Nuernberger sits eighth in school annals with 106 extra points made (with 100% accuracy btw).
The school's all-time leader, Rich Spangler, racked up 184 extra points from 1982-85.
As such, Nuernberger needs just 79 attempts to set a new mark. For context, he attempted 89 in 2014.
EXTRA POINTS MADE - CAREER
Spangler also holds the school record for extra points made in a career with 177.
With Nuernberger sitting on that 106, he needs just 72 made extra points to set a new standard. All he has to do is win and keep the job.
With the appetizers covered we can now move on to the main course..
J.T. Barrett has been a record-breaking machine since taking over for an injured Braxton Miller ahead of the 2014 season opener.
According to the OSU athletics site, Barrett currently holds no less than 23 school marks including the following:
- 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
- 200-yard passing games, career - 18
- 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
- Games gaining 300 or more yards of total offense, career - 14
- Rushing yards by a quarterback, game — 189
- Longest rush by an Ohio State quarterback — 86
So what's left for Barrett to claim this year?
100-YARD RUSHING GAMES BY A QB - CAREER
This is one of the few long shots on the list but J.T. currently sits eighth in school history with eight 100-yard rushing performances.
Braxton holds the record with 14 so it would be a tough climb but with Barrett, anything is possible.
WINS BY A STARTING QB - CAREER
Art Schlichter holds the school record with 36 wins as a starting signal-caller in Columbus (36-11-1) with Barrett currently fifth in school annals boasting 26 wins (26-4).
Needing 11 to break Schlichter's record, smart money says Barrett claims this one provided he stays healthy.
SEASONS WITH AT LEAST 10 WINS BY STARTING QB
Cornelius Greene is the only Buckeye quarterback to win at least 10 games in three different seasons (1973-75).
Barrett tallied 11 wins in 2014 and added another 11 in 2016. Again, and not to jinx anything, only an injury could keep him from tying Greene's mark.
PASSING YARDS - CAREER
Maybe the most prestigious individual record he doesn't hold, Barrett is a mere 1,167 yards away from overtaking Schlichter's record of 7,547 career passing yards.
For context, when we were all killing Barrett last year for his subpar season, he threw for 2,555 yards.
PASSING ATTEMPTS - CAREER
Again, Schlichter currently holds the mark with 951 passing attempts. Barrett has 840 entering this season meaning he needs just 112 attempts to set a new mark.
Barrett attempted 379 passes in 2016.
PASSING ATTEMPTS - SEASON
We'll see how things shake out in Kevin Wilson's new offense but if last year is any indication, Barrett has an excellent shot at setting a new single-season record for pass attempts.
In 2016, Barrett attempted 379 passes which fell just six shy of breaking Joe Germaine's record of 384 attempts set back in 1998.
If Wilson's uptempo offense proves successful, Barrett has a legit shot to add this one to his ledger.
COMPLETION PERCENTAGE - CAREER
This one is unique in that Barrett actually took over as the career leader in completion percentage following the 2015 season but gave it back following a 2016 campaign that saw him complete 61.5% of his tosses.
Todd Boeckman currently sits atop the record book with a 63.4% mark while Barrett enters 2017 with a 63.0% clip.
In case you're interested, Barrett hit on 64.6% of his throws in 2014 and 63.3% in 2015 before dipping to the noted 61.5% last year.
TOTAL OFFENSE - CAREER
Schlichter holds the current school mark here with 8,850 total offensive yards.
Make sure you don't miss kickoff of the Indiana game next Thursday because it will likely take just one snap for Barrett to claim this one.
Standing at 8,846 career total offensive yards entering the season, Barrett needs only five yards to set a new standard.
