First Posted: 8/27/2014
COLUMBUS – J.T. Barrett’s name has already been spoken more in the last two weeks than it would have been the entire football season under normal circumstances.
Until Braxton Miller’s season-ending injury, many Ohio State fans would have had a hard time identifying him in a picture if he was out of uniform.
He was possibly, but not certainly, the quarterback of the future. Then the future got here in a hurry.
Now, the hope is that he can do enough that Ohio State could still win 10, 11, maybe 12 games without its most important player, maybe the most important player on any team in the Big Ten.
With a lot of hope and fresh memories of Kenny Guiton’s heroic relief effort when Miller missed almost three full games last season, some fans and even some former players are optimistic Barrett can do that.
On the Ohio State radio network’s Buckeye Roundtable on Monday night, ex-Buckeyes Jim Lachey, Craig Krenzel and Bobby Carpenter all expressed confidence OSU could win all of its games.
Guiton’s efforts last year say it can be done. But two earlier examples of Ohio State losing players of similar importance as Miller say it won’t be easy.
In 1985, Heisman trophy candidate Keith Byars broke a bone in his foot in practice. He ended up playing in only three games. The year before, he rushed for 1,764 yards. His replacement John Woolridge went for only 820 yards, though OSU was able to match the 9-3 record it had with Byars.
In 1987, No. 1 receiver Cris Carter was declared ineligible for signing with an agent. He caught 69 passes in 1986. The top pass catcher in 1987 was Everett Ross with 29 catches and OSU dropped to six wins after winning 10 a year earlier.
