J.T. Barrett grew up like everybody else in north Texas.
He carried the dream of being the next Vince Young.
So how did he end up at Ohio State? How could a redshirt freshman step in for injured four-year starter Braxton Miller and land in the Heisman Trophy conversation and perhaps the four-team College Football Playoff?
The unconventional answer is McDonalds, but we’ll get to that. Barrett explains it with more unexpected answers.
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He’ll tell you he wanted to play for the Longhorns, but everything worked out for the best. He’ll tell you the loss to Virginia Tech on Sept. 6 helped the Buckeyes. And he won’t tell you on Twitter, because he doesn’t have an account.
Barrett’s play, which includes a Big Ten-record 42 total touchdowns with at least three games to play, also tells you this isn’t a fluke.
"I’m not amazed anymore," Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said on the Big Ten teleconference Tuesday. "I was early in the season. I really didn't understand J.T. I didn't really know him.
"He was in the program for a couple years, but a really quiet guy and kind of down the line on the depth chart. His preparation, his seriousness and leadership skills are outstanding."
Meyer knows what the rest of us are starting to figure out. You’re watching college football’s most unassuming superstar, and there's more to come.
'DID SHE SAY "WE?"'
Barrett was on course to live out his dream of following in Young’s footsteps at Texas. He blossomed into a four-star recruit at Ryder High School in Wichita Falls, but he was having trouble getting the Longhorns’ attention.
Texas had its eyes on fellow in-state four-star quarterback Tyrone Swoopes. Barrett attended the Longhorns’ camp as a sophomore, but an offer never came. Marc Bindel, Barrett’s offensive coordinator and now head coach at Ryder, still considers the process a sore spot.
"J.T. told them he was willing to go down to Texas, even if they offered Tyrone," Bindel told Sporting News. "He told them, ‘I'll show y'all I'm the better quarterback.’ It just didn't happen for whatever reason. He didn't take it personally. He wanted to go somewhere where they wanted him."
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Barrett and his father, Joe, took a recruiting visit to Ohio State in March 2011. They stayed at a nearby Red Roof Inn, a short stroll from McDonalds. Barrett heard the cashiers talking while he waited for his breakfast and couldn’t help but eavesdrop.
"The lady said ‘we,’ " Barrett said. "I’m thinking about this lady cashier at McDonalds said ‘we’ like she was part of Ohio State. I’m thinking that doesn’t get much closer than family right there."
Then Barrett met Meyer and offensive coordinator Tom Herman, and the family connection stuck. Barrett suffered a knee injury five games into his senior season. The Buckeyes still made an offer. Texas chose Swoopes. Texas Tech was still in play, but it was something Meyer said to Barrett that echoed in his head.
"Coach Meyer said we don’t have ‘game players,’ " Barrett said. "I never heard of that in high school. He said, 'You have to practice well to play here.' "
That’s when Barrett committed to Ohio State.
INTO THE SPOTLIGHT
Barrett redshirted behind Miller but found other ways to stand out. He wasn’t afraid to tell others why he chose Ohio State.
When fellow Texan Dontre Wilson and James Clark were on a recruiting visit, Meyer and strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti were making their pitch. Barrett interrupted both to make his own.
"I know how I felt about recruiting and know how I felt about Ohio State," Barrett said. "I wanted to share how I felt about on what to focus on with their ideas on what they look for in a school.
Both committed to the Buckeyes, and Barrett's contributions began in earnest.
"I still wanted the opportunity to play for a national championship," Barrett made clear. "I didn’t want to be a star and not win games."
He got the chance to do both quicker than expected. As Barrett waited his turn, Miller went down less than two weeks before the season opener. Barrett stepped into the starting role, and in his first test, promptly took seven sacks while throwing three picks in a Week 2 loss to Virginia Tech.
LESSON LEARNED
There's a duality to that glaring loss, one the young quarterback is embracing. It’s the one thing keeping Ohio State from a top-four ranking in the College Football Playoff, but if you ask Barrett, it's also the reason they're in a position to make the playoff at all.
"I would like to have that one back at that point in the season," Barrett said. "But it’s almost like we needed to lose. We walked around here like we couldn’t lose. I don’t think we had big heads, but that made us take a step back. It was like, ‘Whoa.' We have to prepare for each and every week."
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The results since have been almost flawless. Barrett needs one score to set the Big Ten record for total touchdowns shared by former Purdue quarterback Drew Brees, also a fellow Texan. Barrett’s even forced a question as to what the Buckeyes will do with Miller — the Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Year the previous two seasons — when next fall rolls around.
But first, Barrett will get a taste of the rivalry with Michigan before the Big Ten championship game. Ohio State quarterbacks forever define their legacy against the Wolverines. Troy Smith, Terrelle Pryor and Miller are a combined 8-1 against Michigan. Meyer said that’s an area of focus this week.
"Tom Herman and I have talked about that," Meyer said. "How you coach J.T. Barrett is going to much different than a veteran. ... We have to be very cautious. The good thing is he's a very focused guy that prepares well."
Folks back in Texas are sure to be watching and wondering what could have been. The Longhorns have whiffed on Robert Griffin III, Johnny Manziel and Barrett while searching for the next Young, who led Texas to the 2005 national championship.
Remember, Young was the one who beat Ohio State 25-22 in Columbus with a last-minute TD pass to Limas Sweed. The Buckeyes are getting unconventional revenge a decade later with Barrett, and like Meyer, Bindel expects more to come.
"He's kind of the standard for kids from Wichita Falls and Ryder," Bindel said. "Hopefully someday kids at Texas and Ohio schools will say the same thing."
