Ohio State football returns quarterback J.T. Barrett who has one more chance at the elusive Heisman Trophy in 2017. Here are five reasons why he can win it.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are one of the most recognizable brand names in the country. Under head coach Urban Meyer they have solidified themselves as one of the two best programs in the country, over the last five years, alongside the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Some of the best and most recognizable players returning for the Buckeyes in 2017 include redshirt senior quarterback J.T. Barrett, redshirt sophomore running back Mike Weber, redshirt senior tight end Marcus Baugh, redshirt junior defensive end Sam Hubbard and junior linebacker Jerome Baker. Ohio State is definitely loaded with talent entering 2017, even with the suspension of defensive lineman Michael Hill.
The most recent release of the Heisman odds, according to Odds Shark, have Barrett with the third best odds to win the trophy. He’s tied with Penn State running back Saquon Barkley and the former Heisman Trophy winner and Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson on the odds list.
Superstar USC quarterback Sam Darnold has the best odds to bring home the Heisman at +250. Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield has the second best odds to win the Heisman at +750. Barrett is not that far behind Mayfield at +800 odds.
Barrett was one of the favorites to win the Heisman in 2016, even up to November 14 when he had the fourth best odds behind Jackson, former Michigan safety Jabrill Peppers, and former Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson.
With it being so tough to bring home back-to-back Heismans, Jackson does not have the best chance to win it again in 2017. He’ll have to top his 51 total touchdown and more than 5,000 yard effort that he put up in 2016.
Now, let’s take a look at five reasons why Barrett will win the Heisman Trophy in 2017.
5. Motivation to win National Championship as a starting QB
Barrett took Ohio State all the way to the College Football Playoff before getting knocked out for the rest of the season against the Michigan Wolverines. He’s been very close to getting the Buckeyes back to the National Championship Game but hasn’t quite been able to reach it.
Ohio State faced the Clemson Tigers in a Semifinal game last year but they were thoroughly dominated. Clemson defeated Ohio State 31-0 in an embarrassing loss for the Buckeyes. Barrett threw for only 127 yards and no touchdowns with two interceptions that game.
This is the final chance that Barrett has to win a National Championship in college. His four years of eligibility will run out after the 2017 campaign. Moreover, the way Barrett started the season last year was much better than the way he finished. He should be motivated to get back to the point he was at against Bowling Green, Oklahoma and Rutgers.
4. Showdowns against Baker Mayfield and Trace McSorley
To win the Heisman Trophy you must show that you can outdo your competition for the award. Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield gets his chance at revenge against Ohio State for their 21-point defeat last year on September. 9 in Columbus.
However, Barrett gets his chance at revenge against Trace McSorley and Penn State on October 28. That game against the Nittany Lions is at home as well. Barrett’s 245 passing yards and one total touchdown against Penn State last season is not the performance that he was looking to have in a game where the Buckeyes were heavily favored.
There’s not many other chances on the schedule for Barrett and Ohio State to prove their worth to the Playoff voters and Heisman voters. So Barrett needs to make his mark where he can.
The one thing that Barrett does have going for him is hype and proven experience. Unlike players like McSorley, Auburn’ Jarrett Stidham, Alabama’s Jalen Hurts and a few other names near the top of Heisman Odds lists, Barrett has three years of solid experience.
3. Ability to rush for more than 1,000 yards
In 2014, Barrett rushed for 938 yards and one touchdown. If he had stayed healthy for that entire season, he would have rushed for more than 1,000 yards. Yet, Barrett is older and has more wear and tear on his body than three years ago.
The combination of Mike Weber and Barrett gives him the opportunity to rush for more than 1,000 yards, not his durability, though. Defenses are going to have a hard time stopping that backfield combination because both are such talented rushers. Even redshirt freshman running back Demario McCall could be a threat that defense have to watch out for.
Overall, the biggest key to Barrett getting over 1,000 yards on the ground is avoiding injury. On many occasions, the Buckeyes needed to give Weber the ball more than they actually did because Barrett was taking too many hits.
Any quarterback that has rushed for nearly 2,500 yards and 31 touchdowns in his career always has a great chance to eclipse the 1,000 yard mark in a season.
2. Top off four great years with the Buckeyes
In each of Barrett’s four seasons as a starting quarterback with Ohio State, there have been numerous hurdles to work past. His freshman season saw him getting thrown into the fire after an injury to then starting QB Braxton Miller.
In 2015, Barrett was part of a three-man quarterback battle including Miller and Cardale Jones, that he eventually won. Finally, in 2016, Barrett had a rough finish to the season that cost Ohio State its second National Championship in three years. On all three occasions, Barrett ended up as the starting quarterback for at least the bulk of the season. He has plenty of talent. Now is the time for him to put all the pieces together and build something special.
Even in limited action in 2015, Barrett amassed 22 total touchdowns while only throwing four interceptions. He’s at least been in the running for the Heisman Trophy each year. The fact that Ohio State is a consistent contender makes it even easier to win the Heisman.
1. Loads of offensive talent
Ohio State did lose some talent on the offensive side of the ball this year but not much. Most of the offensive line includes returning starters and the receiving corps is solid, led by redshirt juniors Parris Campbell and Terry McLaurin. There might not be any Michael Thomas-like talent at receiver this year, but the corps is skilled.
Most of all, Barrett and Weber form one of the best QB-RB duos in the country. Both players will be in the running for the Heisman Trophy and will be the main reason that Ohio State wins some games this year.
Marcus Baugh caught 24 passes last season and is one of the more proven options that Barrett can throw to. Campbell and McLaurin will need to step up in their new-found roles of primary receivers. Binjimen Victor will be the third starting receiver, but he does not have much experience other, only being a sophomore.
Ohio State is one of those programs that does not have to rebuild, they just reload. Any position that they have heavy losses at just lines up more four and five-star recruits the following season. Stars emerge each year for Ohio State’s offense and 2017 is sure to be nothing different.
Next: Ohio State 2017 Game-By-Game Predictions
The biggest thing for the Ohio State offense is the return of one of their all-time great quarterbacks in program history. Giving the keys of the offense to Barrett one last time promises to bring excellent results in 2017.