Is J.T. Barrett the Right Quarterback for Ohio State in 2017?
Now that the sting from the 31-0 loss to Clemson is starting to fade, it is time to turn the attention to the 2017 season.
While there are numerous areas to address in the spring, I am wondering if J.T Barrett’s best is good enough to win the 2017 Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff?
If the answer is yes, then he should be behind center next season. If no, it is time to give another quarterback a shot.
This is not an unfair proposition either. Ohio State is a playoff championship or bust program. It is not measured by 10-win seasons. It is measured by hardware.
Two seasons is a long draught. The Buckeyes won’t have the luxury of not winning the conference next year and making the playoff.
Barrett’s decision to return for a fifth season puts coach Urban Meyer in a predicament. He knows with Barrett the team has enough talent to win most games.
What he does not know is will Barrett’s accuracy and trust in receivers improve enough to make the offense lethal again.
Jadar Johnson was entirely right about Barrett. His accuracy is suspect. That’s not the concerning part of his game.
Throwing to receivers before they are open is one problem. Especially when you have an offensive line struggling to protect.
It is okay to gamble more on offense when you have an elite defense. Barrett should risk a few more turnovers in return for allowing his receivers to make more plays.
The rushing attack, which should be second only to Navy, cannot work if the defense does not respect Barrett’s arm.
Another problem is he slowed down the speed of play trying to either check into the perfect play or get everyone lined up correctly. At least that is what it looked like too often this season.
Maybe it is just me, but I think the offense is at its best when Barrett is playing in tempo.
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When Meyer arrived, he put in motion building an SEC-like defense coupled with a Big 12-like offense. It took a couple of seasons to work out the kinks, but he achieved it in 2014.
The Buckeyes were a unanimous preseason No. 1 in 2015 based in part on the offensive fireworks it put on full display to end the championship season.
That unit is gone right now.
I don’t want to hear about inexperience and the players who left early to the NFL. Have you checked out the youth that started for Clemson?
This is about confidence. The Buckeyes’ offense lost it somewhere along the line in 2015. The next eight months are about finding it again. Is Barrett the right man for the job?
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My hope is Barrett is like Rocky in Part III and Ryan Day is Apollo Creed ready to build him back up. We’ve seen what Barrett can do. It is time to do it or find his replacement.