COLUMBUS – J.T. Barrett, who earned Big Ten Player and Freshman of the Year honors in 2014 while leading Ohio State to an 11-1 record, setting new school and conference records along the way, will start his first game of 2015 Saturday night.
No. 1 Ohio State (7-0, 3-0 Big Ten) at Rutgers (3-3, 1-2) 8:00 p.m./ABC
Barrett was named starting quarterback Tuesday by head coach Urban Meyer after Cardale Jones failed to spark the buckeye offense to the kids of dominating performances sports pundits and fans expected from the defending national champions.
Jones took the reins after Barrett broke an ankle in the regular season finale against Michigan and led Ohio State to victories in three post-season games, the “third-string QB” mentioned prominently in the Dr. Pepper TV commercial touting the College Football Playoff (and the soft drink).
Jones had, indeed, been No. 3 on the depth chart before Braxton Miller reinjured a shoulder, moving Barrett into the starting spot. Jones was named the starter before the season opener at Virginia Tech, having competed with Barrett for the job all summer.
The “third-string QB” threw for 742 yards and 5 touchdowns in the Big Ten championship game, the Sugar Bowl and the CFP championship game.
But “12 Gauge” had played more like a .22 in the first seven games of the 2015 season: 1,242 yards, 7 touchdowns and 5 interceptions.
Barrett stepped in and rushed for 102 yards, scoring 2 touchdowns and throwing for 2 more on the way to a 38-10 win over Penn State.
Meyer said red zone and third-down efficiency with Barrett at the helm were what earned him back the starting job.
The Buckeyes were a perfect 6-for-6 in trips to the red zone, a point of contention for Meyer in the first five games of the season, and converted 5 of 11 third downs with the sophomore at the helm.
NOTES: Rutgers scores an average of 34.3 points per game…Ohio State leads the Big Ten in scoring at 37 ppg, rushing (242.1 ypg) and pass defense and is second in total offense (455.6 ypg)…RB Ezekiel Elliot is 5th in the nation with 141.1 rushing yards per game…he has rushed for at least 100 yards in 12 consecutive game, most of any current FBS running back.