Oct 17, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett (16) carries the ball as Penn State Nittany Lions defensive tackle Austin Johnson (99) defends in the second quarter at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State defeated Penn State 38-10. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports
Top-ranked Ohio State is turning back to J.T. Barrett at quarterback for Saturday night’s Big Ten game at Rutgers.
Coach Urban Meyer said Tuesday the Buckeyes decided to give Barrett the start on merit after junior Cardale Jones started and won the first seven games of the season.
Barrett, a sophomore, moves ahead Jones, a redshirt junior with a 10-0 record as a starter including the Buckeyes’ postseason run to the national championship last year.
Meyer said the decision was based on “sheer production.”
“Cardale is going to be a very active part,” Meyer said. “Hopefully, we’ll keep him very much involved. It was a difficult decision, but the red-zone production and third-down production were the two areas that made the difference. (Barrett) earned that with the way he played Saturday.”
Barrett helped guide the Ohio State offense to a 31-10 victory over Penn State on Saturday night in Ohio Stadium, rushing for 102 yards and two touchdowns and passing for two scores playing a majority of the second half. Jones completed 9 of 15 passes for 84 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions against the Nittany Lions.
Barrett was Ohio State’s starter during the regular season in 2014 before suffering a broken ankle in the annual regular-season ending rivalry game against Michigan.
This year, Barrett has led the offense to scores on all 12 possessions in the red zone when he is on the field, including 11 touchdowns.
