The Ohio State offense put up just 350 yards of total offense in week two against Oklahoma. It was the Buckeyes’ worst yardage game this season by over 230 yards, and it happened against a Sooner defense that has allowed 523, 449, 428, and 412 yards over their last four games.
OSU rushed for a season-low 167 yards against Oklahoma, but it was J.T. Barrett’s 19-of-35 passing for 183 yards that everyone remembers.
It’s also what has everyone concerned heading into Saturday’s matchup against Penn State.
The Nittany Lions will come into Ohio Stadium with the nation’s best pass efficiency defense. They have allowed a nation-low three touchdown passes, and their 5.2 yards per attempt allowed is the lowest in the nation as well.
This is going to be the biggest test for the Buckeye passing game this season, and every last ounce of OSU’s offensive performance is seemingly being put on Barrett’s shoulders.
The good news for Ohio State is that no quarterback in the nation is playing better than Barrett right now. His numbers have been documented over the last five games plenty, and he is a completely different quarterback than he was at the start of the season.
Right?
“No. I feel the same,” Barrett said last week.
But how can that be? Just look at the numbers. Barrett has completed over 70% of his passes for 270 yards per game with 18 touchdowns since that loss. Clearly, Barrett is a different guy now.
“Not really,” he said. “I’m the same person that people said that they wanted to bench. I’m the same person now who is playing well. Same guy.”
Okay, he’s the same guy, but he’s a different quarterback, right?
“Same guy,” he reiterated.
“That’s the fun part of knowing J.T. behind the scenes that you guys don’t get to see,” said center Billy Price. “That man has not changed. We have complete confidence going into every game plan with him behind me. It’s making sure that the offense is continuing to grow, continuing to develop in different dimensions.”
Barrett may be the same quarterback, but the offense is growing around him and he is taking better advantage of what the offense can do.
“You are starting to see wide receivers run wide open underneath,” Price said. “So those mesh routes underneath and making sure you dump the ball off shorter distances, then you see a post route go to Terry McLaurin for 30-some yards. You start seeing that, and the other thing with J.T. is that against Nebraska there were like 20 MPH winds and he threw a dime. Most people don’t get to see that. The kid has not changed a thing.”
Barrett hasn’t changed and it’s that consistency that his teammates have come to rely upon.
“Preparation and his nose to the grindstone and making sure his attention to detail makes sure this offense continues to grow and develop, that’s exactly who he is,” Price said.
Barrett is the same guy.
The same quarterback.
But there have been changes made to this offense, and those changes have the Buckeyes on the right track and at the right time.
“I think our offense has grown,” Price said. “The coaching staff has been more comfortable with each other, the scheme we’re using to attack people has been great and fantastic and has put us in position to dominate, and we’re playing fast and we’re seeing a lot of good things happen from it.”