Heisman Trophy Watch 2017: Field normalizing after Week 8

J.T. Barrett started the season on a bit of a cold streak, at least in the perception of fans and pundits alike. He posted completion rates under 60 percent in each of his first two games of 2017, as Ohio State went 1-1 against Indiana and Oklahoma. Since that loss to the Sooners, though, Barrett has ramped up his production and has quickly returned to performing like one of the top quarterbacks in the country.

His best game yet came in Week 8 against Nebraska on the road. In the interdivisional battle, Barrett went 27-of-33 for 325 yards and five passing touchdowns. He added another 48 yards and two rushing touchdowns, accounting for seven total scores in the beatdown of the Cornhuskers.

It was an efficient display from a quarterback who is finally beginning to return to the form that made him a Heisman threat back in 2014. Barrett is now responsible for the third-most points in the FBS, and ranks fourth nationally in passing efficiency. The Buckeyes star has Urban Meyer’s team right in the thick of the Big Ten race, with No. 2 Penn State looming next weekend.

If Barrett manages to put the Buckeyes into the Big Ten title game and the College Football Playoff, he will vault right back to where he was in the Heisman race as a freshman three years ago. It has taken a while, but he is back on form as one of the top players in the nation.