J.T. Barrett vs. Minnesota: Stat Line, Heisman Impact and Reaction

Ohio State's slim margin of victory against Minnesota in a snowy Saturday contest may not have done much for the team's College Football Playoff chances, but freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett's performance certainly looked Heisman worthy.

The Buckeyes signal-caller may be viewed as a long shot to claim the coveted trophy as long as players such as Marcus Mariota and Dak Prescott continue to play at a high level; however, after completing 15 of his 25 passing attempts for 198 yards, three touchdowns and one interception while rushing 17 times for 189 yards and another score, Barrett may have slightly narrowed the gap.

Barrett has been a dangerous dual-threat quarterback throughout the season, and his prowess on the ground led to a new team record, according to ESPN Stats & Info:

That wasn't the only school record Barrett set Saturday. His total touchdowns this season are also a new team high, according to CBS Sports CFB:

Bleacher Report's Ben Axelrod added that the quarterback is just one passing touchdown away from another impressive mark:

What's significant about that feat? Troy Smith won the Heisman in 2006 with the Buckeyes. Barrett is poised to blow Smith's performance out of the water. That's quite impressive for a quarterback who only started the season due to a devastating injury to Braxton Miller.

Analysts are already weighing in on Twitter with their thoughts on Barrett's potential to be a Heisman finalist. Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports appears to think he's in line for a trip to New York:

Axelrod thinks Barrett is a name away from being a Heisman front-runner:

So, how far off from Heisman contention is the Ohio State quarterback?

Coming into Week 12 of the college football season, ESPN released its top Heisman candidates and their corresponding votes. Here's a look at the 10 players who made the list:

Name	Position	School	Year	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	Total
Marcus Mariota	QB	Oregon	Jr.	8	2	0	0	0	48
Dak Prescott	QB	Miss. State	Jr.	2	4	1	2	1	34
Melvin Gordon	RB	Wisconsin	Jr.	0	3	2	3	2	26
Trevone Boykin	QB	TCU	Jr.	0	1	4	2	2	22
Amari Cooper	WR	Alabama	Jr.	0	0	2	2	1	11
Duke Johnson	RB	Miami (FL)	Jr.	0	0	0	1	1	3
Jameis Winston	QB	Florida State	So.	0	0	1	0	0	3
J.T. Barrett	QB	Ohio State	Fr.	0	0	0	0	1	1
Bryce Petty	QB	Baylor	Sr.	0	0	0	0	1	1
Shaq Thompson	LB/RB	Washington	Jr.	0	0	0	0	1	1

If Barrett is to move his way up the list, his numbers will need to reflect Mariota's. After all, Oregon's quarterback is currently the consensus front-runner and is setting the tone for this year's race.

Following Barrett's performance against Minnesota, the numbers are closer than you'd think:

Player	GP	Pass Yds	TD	INT	Rush Yds	TD
J.T. Barrett	10	2,356	29	8	771	9
Marcus Mariota	10	2,780	29	2	524	8

Ohio State's offense is firing on all cylinders right now, and Barrett continues to show improvement with every passing game. That has become wildly apparent of late, as the quarterback orchestrated a total of 80 points over his last two contests against the stout defenses of Michigan State and Minnesota.

With two games remaining on the Buckeyes schedule, Barrett must make the most of his opportunities. A susceptible Indiana team is next on the slate, and Ohio State finishes off the regular season with a contest against Michigan.

He'll be afforded a chance to continue climbing up the Heisman ranks, and if he continues on his current pace, we could be hearing his name called in New York.