Buckeyes rally, keep playoff hopes alive
Barrett silences critics, joins Heisman race by throwing four touchdown passes.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — In the tunnel at Ohio Stadium, J.T. Barrett was posing for pictures with friends, receiving handshakes and hugs and thanking one older man with a scratchy voice for screaming himself hoarse.
Barrett smiled and laughed. Ohio State’s stoic fifth-year senior quarterback doesn’t show much emotion on the field. And if he gained any gratification from playing the best game of his career seven weeks after fans were wondering if he should be benched, he was not about to let on.
This is certain: When Barrett said goodbye to his friends and left the Horseshoe on Saturday night he did so as a Heisman Trophy candidate with absolutely nothing left to prove.
Barrett was near flawless against No. 2 Penn State, capping a brilliant performance with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Baugh with 1:48 left in the fourth quarter that gave No. 6 Ohio State a 39-38 victory.
Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer called it one of the best games he has ever seen a quarterback play.
“I’ve never had a kid play perfect, but damn he was close tonight,” Meyer said.
Barrett was 33 for 39 for 328 yards and four touchdown passes, three in the fourth quarter after the Buckeyes (7-1, 5-0 Big Ten) were down 35-20. He also ran for 95 yards on 17 carries. In the fourth quarter, he was 13 for 13 for 170 yards.
“We don’t care about what anyone else thinks about J.T. because we know what we think about J.T. and what he brings to the table,” said Terry McLaurin, who caught Barrett’s first TD pass of the game, which gave the quarterback 91 in his career to break Drew Brees’ Big Ten record.
Penn State led 38-27 with 5:42 left and it looked as if the Nittany Lions (7-1, 4-1) were going to knock the Buckeyes out of the College Football Playoff race, until Barrett capped the comeback.
“What was going through my head was Coach Meyer saying ‘Go win the game.’ He says that all the time,’” Barrett said.
Saquon Barkley scored two long touchdowns for Penn State, but was held to 44 yards on 21 carries — and that included a 36-yard touchdown run in the first half.