The Buckeyes' Game-Winning Touchdown Was Months in the Making
When J.T. Barrett dropped back to throw on third down and two yards to go in overtime against Wisconsin on Saturday night, he wasn’t nervous or unsure. The Buckeye quarterback knew what he was doing because he’d run that play a thousand times before.
“I think that’s something that we worked on countless times in the summer,” the Ohio State quarterback said following the dramatic win.
NCAA rules prohibit coaches from working with the players in normal practice during the summer, so it’s up to leaders like Barrett to get workouts together. But the quarterback doesn’t just use that time to build chemistry and get into rhythm with his receivers, but rather work game scenarios just like the one against the Badgers.
“We don’t go out there to just throw routes,” Barrett explained. “We play the situation, play coverage and understand that that’s when it’s going to come up and that’s something that came up today and I just put it up there, back shoulder and he did a great job adjusting and he made the play.”
Barrett’s confidence on the play also stemmed from his intended receiver. The 6-foot-2 Noah Brown is the ideal target to go up and get the ball and has the hands to make the catch.
“I think it’s preparation,” he said. “All throughout the summer, me and J.T. have been working on fades, end zone passes just like that and just routes in general. Having awareness of the field, I’m pretty comfortable in that situation because I practice it a lot.”
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