What to Expect from J.T. Barrett in Buckeyes Matchup with Michigan State

COLUMBUS, Ohio — If J.T. Barrett was hoping to be overlooked in Ohio State's matchup with Michigan State this Saturday, he found the wrong opponent.

Comparing the Buckeyes freshman quarterback to his two-time Big Ten MVP predecessor Braxton Miller, Spartans linebacker Taiwan Jones wasn't short on praise for Barrett, as he heads into the toughest test of his young college career.

“Barrett works better in this offense, and I feel like he has a better arm. He is a way better quarterback than Braxton," Jones said in a Tuesday press conference. “As an athlete, I feel like Braxton Miller was better. As for a quarterback that can fit in the offense, [Barrett] fits really well."

Jones' comment drew a rebuttal from Miller, but there is some validity to his premise. Because while Miller has been on the sideline nursing a season-ending torn labrum in his throwing shoulder, the Ohio State offense has been humming along under Barrett, ranking fourth in the nation in points per game (45.6) and 15th in yards per game (505).

But while Barrett's success in his first season has been impressive, it hasn't been without an asterisk. It's worth noting that the majority of the Wichita Falls, Texas, native's success has come against lesser opponents, both in the nonconference and Big Ten portion of the Buckeyes schedule.

In fact, of Barrett's 2,352 total yards and 29 touchdowns, 1,914 yards and 24 touchdowns have come against Navy, Kent State, Cincinnati, Maryland, Rutgers and Illinois. To put that in perspective, none of those teams rank any higher than 81st in the country in total defense, hardly a murderer's row of opponents that Barrett has lit up.

Meanwhile, Barrett has struggled against the two best defenses that Ohio State has faced, completing just 9-of-29 passes against Virginia Tech's 31st-ranked unit and throwing for just 74 yards against Penn State's No. 3-ranked defense. Those numbers were enough for Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer to admit that he's not yet satisfied with the state of the Buckeyes passing game, despite its overall gaudy numbers.

"Not yet," Meyer answered when asked if he was comfortable with Ohio State's throw game heading into East Lansing. "We're not 100 percent there. And we're going to work real hard at it at practice."

PAUL VERNON/Associated Press

Whether that practice will pay off in time for Saturday remains to be seen, but the Buckeyes will certainly have their hands full with a Spartans team that ranks fifth in the country in total defense. From a passing perspective, Michigan State ranks 14th in the country on defense, giving up an average of 184 yards per game.

That's well below the average of Barrett, who has averaged 232 passing yards in the first eight games of his college career, sitting out the second half against Illinois last week in a game that was already in hand. Nevertheless, Barrett's teammates remain confident in their freshman signal-caller heading into the biggest game of Ohio State's season.

"He's ready," wide receiver Devin Smith said. "He's confident in himself. He'll be ready to go Saturday."

And whereas Barrett's shortcomings against Penn State—which also involved two interceptions, including a pick-six to start the second half—could certainly be viewed as a negative, the Buckeyes did find a way to walk away from Happy Valley with a win. A big part of that had to do with the play of their quarterback, who scored Ohio State's two touchdowns (both rushing) in overtime.

“I know J.T. is going to do everything he can do to help us win, and that was probably just one of the first games where everybody else got to see it,” wide receiver Evan Spencer said. “I knew he was a great competitor. I knew at the end of the day he was going to try to send [the seniors] out the right way and that he was going to do everything that he could to make sure we won."

Of course, expressing confidence to the media is one thing, and going out and performing against the Michigan State defense on the road and at night is another. Barrett may be confident in himself as well, but he knows that Saturday will likely be the toughest test that he faces this season.

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

“Physical defense. Aggressive," Barrett said of the Spartans. "Going to see some blitzing definitely from them and just tough, grind-it defense. Tough as far as stopping the run and making you throw the ball, and you’ve got to complete it as well.” 

But in a battle that seems like two opponents each trying to play the role of underdog, Michigan State is determined to not sell Barrett short. He may not have proven himself against a top defense just yet, but Barrett has put enough on film already to show Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio that Michigan State can't put too much stock in the absence of Miller—or Barrett's struggles against top-tier opponents.

“They’re two different type of players. Braxton had more experience, although J.T. has become experienced as he’s moved through the process here. He’s done a tremendous job,” Dantonio said. “In so many different areas you can tell he’s a leader on the field, which I think is critical in any quarterback, and he’s done an outstanding job."

Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Ohio State Lead Writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com and recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.