In his first game back from a suspension for a drunk-driving arrest, J.T. Barrett helped lead No. 3 Ohio State to a victory over Illinois that extended the Buckeyes’ nation’s best winning streak to 23 in a row.
Following the win, the “do you know who I am?” quarterback met with the media for the first time since his late-October arrest for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Not surprisingly, Barrett was extremely apologetic over what he described as a “selfish act” on his part.
“What I have to say about that,” Barrett said according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, “is I am truly sorry for my actions. I know that the main thing about it is I wasn’t thinking really about my position here at Ohio State. I faced the consequences and that’s going to be a long-term thing I’m going to deal with.
“I’m moving forward. Like I said, I extremely apologize to Buckeye Nation. I never want to hurt Ohio State (with) what it’s done for me as a person and also as a player. It was just a selfish act and that’s it.”
With the one-game suspension keeping him out of the Minnesota win but not costing him his job, Barrett showed signs of rust in just his second start of the season. The redshirt sophomore completed 15-of-23 passes for 150 yards, one touchdowns and one interception in the 28-7 win. He also added 74 yards and another touchdowns on 16 carries.
Ezekiel Elliott was again the workhorse of the Buckeyes’ offense, rushing for a game-high 181 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The running back has rushed for 100-plus yards in 15 straight game, the top such streak in the country.