6 things to know about Ohio State QB J.T. Barrett’s knee injury
Ohio State might play two QBs against Wisconsin, and the week prior, Urban Meyer blamed the whole thing on a camera operator.
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
The fifth-year senior is expected to be ready to play in Saturday night’s Big Ten championship game against Wisconsin despite undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Sunday to relieve the problem that knocked him out of the win at Michigan last week, sources told The Dispatch.
Then, on Thursday, he was named the Big Ten’s quarterback of the year for a record third time.
An Ohio State team spokesman would not confirm the report about the surgery Thursday.
Barrett fell on that knee during a QB scramble and was tackled from behind. Another Michigan player fell on him, and Barrett tried to walk away immediately but couldn’t. He left the game and didn’t return, but the Buckeyes managed to win without him.
2. The week prior, Urban Meyer and Barrett said contact with a camera operator caused Barrett’s injury.
The coach said he became aware before the game that Barrett was down on OSU’s sideline.
How Meyer responded when Barrett got hurt during the game:
3. Barrett said he doesn’t think whatever happened was deliberate.
Barrett demonstrated how the incident unfolded:
Barrett was throwing in tight quarters near the sideline, he said, and someone tried to “squeeze through” a little corridor when he made contact with the QB.
4. The Buckeyes did just fine with backup QB Dwayne Haskins.
Redshirt freshman Dwayne Haskins Jr. replaced him and led a touchdown drive immediately, then helped the Buckeyes close out the win. Haskins is a former four-star recruit and highly regarded as a passer. The former Maryland commit isn’t as mobile as Barrett, and obviously, he’s not as experienced. But he did great.
Barrett returned to the field and gave Haskins some encouragement.
OSU blog Land-Grant Holy Land on Haskins:
Regardless, when J.T. Barrett is gone after this season, the next man up is Haskins.
The former four-star from Potomac, Maryland has really impressed this offseason as a redshirt freshman. His touch, rocket arm, and aggressiveness remind more than a few of Cardale Jones, including Barrett.
“He has kind of a mentality almost like Cardale,” Barrett said, per Eleven Warriors. “His arm can take him places, but then also too, it can get him in some tight spots as well. But when he is set up to throw the ball and he is in rhythm, he can rip it.”
Here’s an interview we did with Haskins when he was a recruit:
Haskins delivered in a huge spot.
5. Everyone expects Haskins to also play against Wisconsin at some point.
6. This was the second time Barrett’s exited a Michigan game with injury.
He also left in 2014, when Cardale Jones replaced him and then led the Buckeyes to a national title. With Wisconsin again up next and the Buckeyes again on the outside edge of the Playoff, things are starting to feel a little symmetrical.
Barrett was seen rooting on Jones from the stands at Ohio Stadium that day.
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