1. Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee this week but is playing in Saturday’s Big Ten title game against Wisconsin, the Columbus Dispatch reported Thursday:
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.
Urban: "I'm upset with myself on JT Barrett. Non-football injury. Guy with a camera on side hit JT in knee pregame."
— Jeremy Rauch (@FOX19Jeremy) November 25, 2017
Said they're going to find the guy. @FOX19
Injury happened before the game. Urban wants “all-out investigation.” I’ve really never seen him this angry in a press conference.
— Austin Ward (@AWardSports) November 25, 2017
The coach said he became aware before the game that Barrett was down on OSU’s sideline.
Urban Meyer said J.T. Barrett sustained the injury before the game. Said it involved a camera man. And he's quite upset. #Buckeyes pic.twitter.com/kmnPm2Yoof
— clevelanddotcom (@clevelanddotcom) November 25, 2017
Oh boy. Urban Meyer said a cameraman on a crowded sideline caused JT Barrett's injury and he's going to find out who it was.
— Ryan Ginn (@rmginn) November 25, 2017
How Meyer responded when Barrett got hurt during the game:
Right after J.T. Barrett was helped to the locker room, Urban Meyer was hunched over, bent at his waist for a good 10 seconds on the field as his team huddled.
— Coley Harvey (@ColeyHarvey) November 25, 2017
3. Barrett said he doesn’t think whatever happened was deliberate.
J.T. Barrett at the podium now and said he feels the incident was not deliberate.
— Nick Piotrowicz (@NickPiotrowicz) November 25, 2017
Asked if he will play next week vs. Wisconsin, Barrett said "Yeah, I'll play."
— Steve Helwagen (@SteveHelwagen) November 25, 2017
Barrett demonstrated how the incident unfolded:
Barrett explains injury pic.twitter.com/l9G5nfqC6a
— Ari Wasserman (@AriWasserman) November 25, 2017
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.
Asked if Haskins is in the game plan or could play a part, Meyer so “Oh, absolutely."
— Bucknuts (@Bucknuts247) December 1, 2017
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.
A reader sent in another great photo of J.T. Barrett making his way to 28A to watch the end of the game. Baller. pic.twitter.com/8WO3kqeUD7
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) November 29, 2014