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I’ll admit it. I was skeptical about JT Barrett after the Oklahoma game. I didn’t think he could fix the passing game and perform at a high level against a team like Penn State. JT proved me and plenty of other doubters wrong tonight.
JT was simply fabulous. He completed 33 of 39 passes for 328 yards, 4 TDs and no picks. The Buckeyes were down 21-3 at one point and then down 15 points two times in the second half, but JT put the team on his back and imposed his will on Penn State.
Meanwhile, Saquon Barkley started the game with a spectacular kickoff return for a touchdown, and followed that with a 36-yard touchdown run, but then was stuffed by the Ohio State defense for the rest of the game. He only gained a net 8 yards on his other 20 carries! He’s a hell of a talent, but the kid is human and tonight showed some of the hype had gotten to ridiculous levels.
The Buckeyes tried to give this game away with terrible special teams play and some questionable play calls in the red zone, but they moved the ball at will against Penn State and now have a clear shot at the College Football Playoff if they can win out. Penn State will likely need a lot of help.
Going on the road to Wisconsin for a night game is never easy. Given the Badgers two weeks to prepare due to a bye week, and you have a recipe for potential disaster for the #2 ranked Buckeyes.
While Ohio State has mostly dominated opponents so far, this is a very young team, and Wisconsin took advantage of that early in the game with jet sweeps and other plays to keep the Ohio State defense off balance.
Also, freshman Alex Hornibrook played very well, and this kid is poised to become a star in the Big Ten in years to come. He’s big and has real poise in the pocket, and he completed big passes against the Ohio State defense for most of the game.
Meanwhile, JT Barrett struggled in the first half. He’s inconsistent as a passer, and how he plays might determined whether the Buckeyes can win another National Championship this year. But Barrett is a competitor, and he came up big in the second half as the Buckeyes rallied to a win in overtime.
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There was plenty of hype leading up to this game, and frankly it was justified. While Michigan has been a miserable mess against Ohio State since Jim Tressel arrived at the beginning of this millennium, things were poised to become more interesting with the arrival of Jim Harbaugh.
Ohio State is the reigning national champ, and Urban Meyer is now the king of the hill in Columbus, but Harbaugh gave Michigan fans hope.
Many thought it might take a couple of years for Harbaugh to compete with the Buckeyes, but as this season progressed, attitudes started to change. The Buckeyes were sleepwalking through their schedule, while Michigan rolled off three straight shutouts. Suddenly, many of the talking heads started calling Michigan the best team in the Big Ten.
Then Michigan State spoiled some of the hype. They miraculously beat Michigan on a wild final play, and then stunned Ohio State last weekend with some serious defense and an assist from Ohio State’s coaching staff.
Still, this was shaping up to be an epic battle that would kick off a new phase in the iconic rivalry. Would we have another ten-year war reminiscent of Woody and Bo?
