Barrett OK to play, Meyer says
The saga of Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett gained two new chapters Thursday, with the possibility of a third to come Saturday.
Sources told The Dispatch on Thursday that Barrett, knocked out of the Michigan game Saturday because of a right-knee injury, underwent arthroscopic surgery Sunday to clean up a torn meniscus. Barrett said last week that the issue had presented itself before the opener at Indiana.
Later in the day on his weekly radio show, coach Urban Meyer did not mention the surgery but did offer news regarding Barrett and the Big Ten championship game against Wisconsin on Saturday in Indianapolis.
“He’s been cleared to play, so he’s going to play in the game,” Meyer said on 97.1 The Fan (WBNS-FM). “He’ll practice today and be ready to go.”
Shortly before Meyer’s announcement, Barrett was named the Big Ten’s quarterback of the year for a record third time. It is the fifth time that an Ohio State quarterback has won the award — named for former Purdue quarterbacks Bob Griese and Drew Brees — in the seven years it has been bestowed. Braxton Miller won it in 2012 and ’13, and Barrett previously in 2014 and last season.
Ohio State quarterbacks coach Ryan Day was a guest on Meyer’s
show and said Barrett hadn’t missed a beat this week in preparing mentally for Saturday’s game.
While backups Dwayne Haskins Jr. and Joe Burrow got plenty of reps the first two days of full practice, Barrett was there watching and occasionally throwing, according to program sources.
“Having a guy with a lot of experience is huge, the more he can use mental reps to get himself ready to play,” Day said of Barrett. “And he’s done
a great job of that so far, getting into the film, walking through stuff on the field. We’ll see how (Thursday’s practice) goes, but the progression’s been good.”
Regardless of the situation, the Buckeyes feel good that Haskins stepped in for Barrett late in the third quarter at Michigan with the Buckeyes trailing by six points. Haskins rallied the team to two touchdowns and a field goal in the 31-20 win.
A week earlier against Illinois, Haskins was
yanked from his backup duty after a fumble in the wind and rain that the Illini returned for a touchdown. He returned to that game to pass for a touchdown, and he carried through with his turnaround at Michigan.
“That was a growing experience for him,” Day said of the twogame swing. “But he’s got to be ready to go in this game.”
As Barrett’s awards and array of Big Ten and Ohio State records attest — including the career conference mark of accounting for 142 touchdowns — coaches seem to have no intention of leaving him on the shelf if he’s ready.
He was named the league’s top quarterback after a regular season in which he passed for 2,728 yards and 33 touchdowns and rushed for 672 yards and nine TDs.
“When it’s all said and done here, the biggest thing you’re going to say about J.T. is he’s a warrior,” Day said.