Ohio State Football: 3 bold predictions vs. Michigan State in Week 11

3. JT Barrett bounces back

Maybe this one isn’t that bold, but JT Barrett is going to bounce back, after his four-interception performance, against the Michigan State Spartans. It’s not bold because that was by far his worst performance of 2017 — even worse than the performance and outcome against the Oklahoma Sooners on national television.

Barrett has had his growing pains under Urban Meyer after being a part of a national championship squad in 2014. He has overcome having other talented quarterbacks on the roster and waiting in the wings, as well as injuries to cement himself as the starter in Columbus.

Barrett, who is now under the tutelage of Kevin Wilson, has improved drastically in 2017. The Ohio State offense went on a tear climbing the S&P+ charts and the rankings while Barrett threw for 200-plus yards and three-plus touchdowns with no interceptions over a five week span. That span included an upset of Penn State where Barrett threw four interceptions and completed 84.6 percent of his passes. That’s an astounding stat for a guy that threw the football 39 times against a good defense.

Kevin Wilson, Urban Meyer and JT Barrett will not allow him to struggle again, although Sparty does have a top 10 defense per the S&P+. Barrett will carry the football less, allowing Dobbins to carry more of the load, and allowing Barrett to stay fresh and focused on the passing game. Urban Meyer’s scheme forced Barrett to run more than Dobbins and Mike Weber combined against the Spartans and that’s not good for your passing game.