Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett was largely written out of the Heisman discussion following the Buckeyes’ 31-16 loss to Oklahoma in September. And with good reason. He was bad against the Sooners, completing 19-of-35 passes for 183 yards -- a putrid 5.3 yards per attempt -- with no touchdowns and one interception. The lack of a credible passing attack was the reason Ohio State lost to OU, same as it was a large reason Ohio State lost to Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl last season.
And while that Oklahoma performance remains on his 2017 resume, Barrett has been perfect since then.
The Buckeyes haven’t faced a murder’s row of opponents since in the five games since that loss -- highest pass efficiency defense faced: No. 63 Maryland -- but check out Barrett’s numbers and try to find a weak point:
- vs. Army: 22-of-35 (75.8 percent) for 270 yards (8.2 per attempt) with two TDs and zero INTs
- vs. UNLV: 12-of-17 (70.6 percent) for 209 yards (12.3 per attempt) with five TDs and zero INTs
- at Rutgers: 15-of-23 (65.2 percent) for 286 yards (12.4 per attempt) with three TDs and zero INTs
- vs. Maryland: 20-of-31 (64.5 percent) 261 yards (8.4 per attempt) with three TDs and zero INTs
- at Nebraska: 27-of-33 (81.8 percent) for 325 yards (9.8 per attempt) with five TDs and zero INTs
Add it all up during this stretch and Barrett is 96-of-139 (69.1 percent) for 1,351 yards (9.72 per attempt) with 18 touchdowns against no interceptions -- with another 232 yards and four touchdowns on the ground -- good for a 193.44 quarterback rating. As it stands, Barrett’s 173.76 rating stands fourth nationally and his two top competitors for the Heisman at the quarterback position, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield and Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph.
Equally important statistics for Barrett over this 5-game stretch are the scores by which Ohio State has won: 38-7, 54-21, 56-0, 62-14 and 56-14 on Saturday night.
Ohio State is the No. 9 team and the country and will rise in this week’s polls after three teams ahead of them (No. 2 Clemson, No. 5 Washington and No. 8 Washington State) lost in Week 7.
The Heisman is an individual award dependent on team success, and with games against No. 3 Penn State, No. 21 Michigan State and No. 17 Michigan upcoming, plus a possible date with No. 7 Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship, Barrett has plenty of showcase opportunities ahead of him.