Big Ten battle set for today
COLUMBUS, Ohio — J.T. Barrett hasn’t been playing football at Ohio State forever. It just seems like it to Penn State coach James Franklin.
Barrett helped lead the Buckeyes to a national championship in the 2014 season, Franklin’s first in Happy Valley. That year’s game between the Big Ten rivals became one of Barrett’s first signature wins as he scored twice in overtime to help the Buckeyes escape Beaver Stadium with a 31-24 win.
And the fifth-year senior quarterback has a supporting cast that is typical Ohio State star quality.
“You’re talking about a guy who’s had an unbelievable college career,” Franklin said. “He’s probably playing his best football right now.”
The No. 2 Nittany Lions (7-0, 4-0) visit No. 6 Ohio State (6-1, 4-0) today in what could be the Big Ten game of the year.
There is as much respect on the Ohio State side for Penn State junior quarterback Trace McSorley, who’s also playing his gritty best. He has shown he can move the offense and score on
elite defenses. In a 42-13 win against Michigan last week, he passed for 282 yards and a score and ran for 76 yards and three touchdowns.
“His competitive spirit is off the charts,” Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said. “He’s not the biggest guy, but he competes so
damn hard. That’s what makes J.T. Barrett so special, that’s what made Alex Smith so special, (Tim) Tebow, et cetera — they’re all different sizes, shapes and forms, yet the common trait of winners is competitive spirit.”
And like Barrett, McSorley
has elite athletes playing around him, namely dynamic tailback Saquon Barkley. One more big performance out of Barkley could make him the clear front-runner for the Heisman Trophy down the stretch.
A loss today would have the biggest consequences for the Buckeyes, whose hopes of returning to the College Football Playoff would be dashed with a second defeat. If they beat Penn State and win out, though, they will be a serious contender for one of the four spots despite their loss to Oklahoma in the second week of the season.
Meyer said the offense’s communication and execution are sharp right now, and he insists Barrett is better than seven weeks ago.
“I think what’s better right now is the chemistry between the offensive line, the receivers, the running backs, and J.T. and the offensive line,” Ohio State center Billy Price said. “It’s not two or three conversations, it’s one conversation: Here’s the plan, lets rock and roll. In this world, you don’t want conversations you want solutions.”
Walking away from Columbus with a defeat wouldn’t be fatal to Penn State’s championship hopes, but it would drop the Nittany Lions into a knot of one-loss teams trying to get noticed by the CFP committee, likely without another chance to beat a highly ranked team until the Big Ten championship game.