In the span of a single game, J.T. Barrett experienced pretty much the entire spectrum of the success meter.
The Ohio State quarterback certainly had his fair share of mistakes on Saturday night. And some of them put his Buckeye team on the brink of an road upset at the hands of the Wisconsin Badgers. But when he was needed the most, Barrett delivered.
J.T. Barrett Proves Mettle in Gut Check Ohio State Road Win
That’s part of the reason why the Scarlet and Gray were able to come away victorious in Madison. The Buckeyes erased a 16-6 halftime deficit and ultimately prevailed in overtime, 30-23. Barrett accounted for all three second half touchdowns including the eventual game-winner, an eight-yard pass to Noah Brown in the extra stanza. And he finished with 318 total yards including 92 on the ground.
The redshirt junior walked off the Camp Randall Stadium turf as the hero, particularly on offense. But there were times during this contest where that outcome seemed unlikely. This was especially true in the first half.
Barrett struggled to get into any sort of rhythm in the passing game during the first 30 minutes. He managed just six completions off 14 passes for 81 yards and no touchdowns. It wasn’t much better on the ground even though he did break a 21-yard run late in the first quarter that set OSU up in the red zone.
But that drive stalled, forcing a Tyler Durbin field goal after Wisconsin jumped out to a 10-0 lead. Their next offensive possession would similarly peter out and result in just three points. Despite having the ball seven times in the first half, that’s all OSU mustered on the scoreboard heading into the locker room for halftime.
Trailing 16-6 heading into the second half, the Bucks needed a defensive stop followed by a momentum shifting drive on offense. They got the former, and it appeared the latter was about to get served as well with OSU marching into the red zone. Then a rainstorm which blew through Camp Randall began to intensify. As Barrett rolled to his left, he threw an errant pass that Badger safety D’Cota Dixon picked off in the end zone.
Those kind of miscues can serve to suck the life out of a team down ten on the road. But not the Buckeyes. Their top five defense in terms of total yards allowed promptly forced a three and out. Then Barrett and company came back onto the field and, in old school Big Ten fashion, proceeded to go “three yards and a cloud of dust” on the Badgers.
Ohio State’s next drive was just 47 yards long but it totaled 13 plays, nine of which were runs. More importantly, the Buckeyes converted two fourth downs, allowing Barrett to eventually punch it into the end zone from the one-yard line. Wisconsin’s lead had been narrowed to three.
On the next Badger possession, it was time for the OSU secondary to show why it’s one of the nation’s best at forcing turnovers. On the third play of the drive, freshman quarterback Alex Hornibrook was intercepted by Gareon Conley. It was the junior corner’s second interception on the season.
Barrett’s redemption from a poor start to the game continued. The Heisman hopeful led his offense on a drive where he completed both his passes, including a 21-yard dart to Noah Brown that put the ball on Wisconsin’s 12-yard line. Three plays later, it was Barrett scampering into the end zone for an eight-yard touchdown.
Suddenly, a ten point deficit was now a three point OSU advantage.
But Wisconsin would answer with a touchdown drive of their own to reassert their upset bid. Down three with under four minutes to go, it was time for Barrett to continue demonstrating his ability to put a team on his back. Accounting for 56 of OSU’s 61 yards on a drive that resulted in a game-tying field goal to force overtime, he did exactly that.
Ohio State’s elite defense certainly played its part in aiding Barrett, especially down the stretch. Much like the last time the Buckeyes went to overtime against Penn State on October 25, 2014, a defensive stop sealed the deal. Back then, it was Joey Bosa who took down Christian Hackenberg to end the game. On Saturday, it was his younger brother Nick sacking Hornibrook for the win.
But due in large part to Barrett’s persistence and propensity for responding to adversity, the 6-0 Buckeyes remain bona fide College Football Playoff contenders. He now stands as Ohio State’s all-time leader in total touchdowns with 89. It’s performances like these that not only put you in line to win national titles, but also individual accolades.
And that bronze trophy of John Heisman throwing a stiff arm is beginning to look like it’s destined to go to a certain Buckeye quarterback come December.
