For the first time since the 2006 season, Ohio State will have a senior starting quarterback. And as a fifth year that's seen meaningful action in all three previous years of eligibility, J.T. Barrett is undoubtedly the most experienced quarterback in the country, and that's great news for the Buckeyes.
Through three seasons, there's virtually nothing the Buckeye signal caller has not seen or faced – on the field or off. He's fought through injuries – sometimes playing through them, battled for playing time, dealt with coaching changes, made mistakes off the field, played in front of hostile crowds against the nation's top teams, led his team to thrilling overtime victories and been at the helm for one of the most crushing defeats in recent memory.
But it's not just experience, Barrett's had almost uncanny success through his three years as a starter. The Buckeye signal caller is a ridiculous 26-4 as a starter, 3-0 against Michigan and is perhaps the most decorated quarterback in Ohio State history with 21 school records to his name before his career has even come to a close.
Some fans are quick to call for a change at the position after worse-than-expected offensive production the past two seasons, but with Barrett returning and his track record behind him, one is not coming.
"You see what J.T.'s done," said new quarterbacks coach Ryan Day when asked if Barrett was the clear-cut starter. "It goes without saying."
So that's where we are heading into the 2017 season. On a team anchored by players returning to school for one more shot, fifth-year senior Barrett will be the rock, the captain and the leader, and that's where his team needs him most. Ohio State's roster is overflowing with talent – especially young talent – but talent is without direction is fruitless. Barrett will be the rudder.
And as the team adjusts to new coaches bringing in a new offensive scheme and tries deal with the departures of some of their top playmakers from the season before, Barrett will be the rock everything is built upon.
And he's going to do it all with hunger, because as much as he's accomplished in his three seasons at Ohio State, there is still one thing that's eluded him – a national championship of his own.
Barrett obviously has the 2014-15 College Football Playoff ring, and he earned it, bringing his team to an 11-1 record. But after breaking his ankle in the last game of the regular season, he had to watch Ohio State's improbable run through the postseason from the sidelines. While he was still part of that team, it's different.
The way the 2016 season ended only added fuel to that fire. Barrett got close enough to sniff a college football playoff title, but his hopes were dashed in the most crushing way as the Buckeyes were shutout in the semifinals.
"It will be really hard for me to walk away when we just lost 31-0," Barrett said after the game.
Obviously, he didn't.
Barrett is back in 2017 for one last ride, and he will be invaluable for the Buckeyes. The roster is loaded, and there's plenty of talent behind him, and will be for the next few years as Urban Meyer continues to dominate on the recruiting field.
But while you can recruit talent, speed and quickness, but you can't recruit three years of experience at the highest level of college football, and that's what Barrett brings.
