The final game of J.T. Barrett’s legendary Ohio State career was a microcosm of his five years with the Buckeye football program.
Barrett led a sometimes frustrating and inconsistent offense, struggled at times in the passing game but hit a few key passes. He converted several crucial plays with his legs, set a few records, and walked off a winner.
He finished the Cotton Bowl 11-for-17 passing for 114 yards, and added another 66 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Those numbers weren’t eye-popping, but his final career numbers certainly were. Barrett broke Drew Brees’ Big Ten conference record for total offense with 12,697 yards.
“It’s pretty crazy. I mean, since I was little, I looked up to Drew Brees,” Barrett said. “To be able to pass a record like that, just very grateful the people that were around me, coaches that have been part of my journey, O line, receivers, tight end, running backs, receivers, everybody that helped me achieve that. It’s definitely an honor and a blessing.”
After the game, it seemed to hit Barrett that his time in a Buckeye uniform was now over.
“I’m very grateful for everybody,” he said. “Everybody’s been a part of my life to help me through this journey, coaches, my teammates that were here tonight and then people I played in the past.”
Throughout his collegiate career, Barrett was known – sometimes derisively – as “a distributor.” But while he tried to distribute the credit in every direction after the game, his teammates and coaches put it all back on him.
“Elite leader that raises the level of those around him, raises the level of toughness, of will to win, of the practice habits, the human spirit,” said head coach Urban Meyer.
“I’m blessed to be able to play with a man like him and for him to be my quarterback the last two years,” said sophomore WR Austin Mack. “He taught me how to be a leader. He’s one of the greatest leaders I’ve ever played with.”
“Just his leadership, the way he attacks every day, workouts, practice, meetings,” said redshirt freshman QB Dwayne Haksins. “He’s very professional. I’ve learned a lot from him.”
Barrett will now shift his focus to preparing for the NFL Draft, but Meyer said he’s still hoping to convince his quarterback to follow a different path down the road.
“I know he says he doesn’t want to coach, but I’m not done trying to get him to coach because he should do that,” Meyer said.
“He should be in a position someday — I know he’s going to go play in the NFL, and that might be his platform. But he should be in a position someday — God made a special guy there, very unique guy. And he’s got a skill set that I haven’t come across very often.”