Barrett recovers, leads Ohio St. to title
INDIANAPOLIS — J.T. Barrett looked just fine Saturday. Now it’s up to college football’s selection committee to decide whether No. 8 Ohio State has done enough to earn a playoff bid.
Six days after having surgery on his right knee, Barrett threw two touchdown passes, ran for another and had a crucial fourth-down conversion late in the game to give the Buckeyes a 27-21 victory over previously unbeaten No. 4 Wisconsin in Saturday’s Big Ten championship game.
Ohio State (11-2) claimed its first conference crown since its 2014 national championship season. The loss ended the nation’s longest active winning streak at 13 and probably doomed the playoff hopes of the Badgers (12-1).
The reason: Barrett’s incredibly speedy recovery.
“I didn’t have any pain in my knee,” he said before answering whether the Buckeyes deserve a playoff spot. “I feel like we’re one of the best teams in the country.”
After running nine yards to convert a third down on the Buckeyes’ second possession of the game, he found a wide open Terry McLaurin for an 84-yard TD pass to make it 7-0.
Two possessions later, Barrett threw a short pass to Parris Campbell, who turned a missed tackle into a 57-yard mistake for another score. Then after a 77-yard run by J.K. Dobbins, Barrett powered in from the 1-yard line to give the Buckeyes a 21-7 lead early in the second quarter.
The only time he really paid for it came on an ill-advised pass from near his goal line in the first quarter. Barrett was picked off by Andrew Van Ginkel, who returned it nine yards for a Wisconsin score.
Otherwise, the Buckeyes were pretty much in control.
Wisconsin closed the deficit to 21-10 at the half and 21-13 early in the third quarter.
The Badgers offense finally broke through early in the fourth by capping a 52-yard drive with a Chris James’ 1-yard TD run and a 2-point conversion pass from Alex Hornibrook to Troy Fumagalli after a delay to repair the field. with 12:39 to play.
Barrett’s fourth-and-1 conversion on the next series set up a short field goal, and the Badgers couldn’t rally on their final two possessions.