COLUMBUS: J.T. Barrett emerged from the roughest year of his football life unscarred.
Not that Ohio State’s junior quarterback is considered fragile. But all that transpired during the 2015 season could have damaged his confidence. He missed spring practice while rehabbing a broken ankle, lost the opening day starting job to Cardale Jones, finally regained that spot, then was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated on Halloween weekend.
A weaker man could have been beaten down, especially with the media watching his every move during his battle with Jones.
As the 2016 season opened Saturday with a 77-10 victory over Bowling Green at Ohio Stadium, Barrett could have been looking over his shoulder out of habit, even if there is no one there.
Had Jones not left for the NFL, Barrett would have glanced that way with 12:19 left in the first quarter.
On Ohio State’s first possession, Barrett was picked off by Bowling Green outside linebacker Brandon Harris, who returned the interception 63 yards for a touchdown.
It was Barrett’s first pick-six since Oct. 25, 2014, at Penn State, which could have allowed doubt to creep into his mind.
“I was really excited, I guess. I went out there and tried to be aggressive and threw it straight to him,” Barrett said. “I was so upset — not just the fact that it was a pick, but he took it to the house.”
When it was pointed out that the Buckeyes were losing, Barrett said, “Yeah, I got it, I got it. I tried to make up for it. Let’s put it in the past.”
Ohio State offensive coordinator Ed Warinner said Barrett showed all the traits that allowed him to cope with a disappointing season in 2015 by how he responded to Saturday’s interception.
Barrett came back to throw for a career-high 349 yards and tied the OSU single-game record of six passing touchdowns he shares with Kenny Guiton. With a 9-yard run for a score, Barrett also set a school single-game mark for total touchdowns with seven, previously sharing the mark of six with Guiton and Tony Curcillo.
“That just shows you what kind of person J.T. Barrett is, a high-character guy, he’s a hard worker, smart. You love who he is, he’s a leader,” Warinner said. “Even today he showed it, on the first series, wow, major setback. Didn’t faze him a bit. He comes back and throws six more touchdowns after that first one [the interception].
“It didn’t affect him. He wasn’t rattled on the sideline. He gathered the team and we went back out to work and off we went.”
Off the Buckeyes went to a school-record 776 yards total offense, posting the most yards and points by an Urban Meyer-coached team.
Barrett taught the young Bucks something about resilience, marching OSU 72 yards in four plays to a touchdown on the possession after his interception. He did that a year ago, as well, leading them to victory at Illinois a week after being suspended for the Minnesota game after the OVI.
The 2016 Buckeyes have been Barrett’s team from day one. There were question marks about his receiving corps as OSU replaced 16 starters from last year’s 12-1 Fiesta Bowl champions. But the only question about Barrett is whether he can make a serious run at the Heisman Trophy after being denied in 2014 when he was injured against Michigan.
In Game 1, he proved he should be on that weekly watch list. Had Barrett recorded Saturday’s numbers as an NFL quarterback, his passer rating would have been 131.6.
It probably won’t come as easily at Oklahoma on Sept. 17, but Barrett seems entirely capable of carrying the young Bucks. OSU had amassed over 600 total yards when Joe Burrow replaced Barrett with 6:30 left in the third quarter.
As the game went on, Barrett continued to elude tacklers with his feet even when it was obvious he was going to get the ball. He sprayed the ball around and kept everyone happy, a challenge that could have befuddled OSU last season.
But most of all, he remained the steady, confident leader the Buckeyes have relied on since 2014, even when personal crises could have rocked his world. That bodes well if Ohio State is to return to the College Football Playoff.
“We knew he was a great leader. What he was able to do two years ago and last year really showed us that,” running back/H-back Curtis Samuel said. “He really picked us up and has been with us from the beginning.”
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her blog at www.ohio.com/marla. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.