Appreciating J.T. Barrett while loving Dwayne Haskins

A seven-time Conference Freshman of the Week, Big Ten Freshman of the Year, three-time Big Ten Quarterback of the Year, three-time All-Big Ten, nine-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, the first Buckeye to ever be a three-time captain, holds more than 25 Ohio State records,¹ several Big Ten records,² and last but certainly not least, he was not only a national champion, but also was a perfect 4-0 against That Team Up North.³ The list goes on and on for how successful J.T. Barrett was during his time at Ohio State.

Buckeye Nation appreciated all Barrett did during his time in Columbus. But with him now in the NFL, that doesn’t mean that Ohio State fans, including myself, can’t fall even more in love with the Buckeyes’ new-look offense that’s led by first-year starter Dwayne Haskins, Jr. They got their first legitimate look at the new starting quarterback during the regular season finale last fall when Haskins helped lead Ohio State to a comeback win over Michigan in Ann Arbor. It was at that moment that seemingly I, along with many Buckeye fans, fell in love with the opportunities that a gunslinger like Haskins could open up for the offense.

In his starting debut over Labor Day weekend, the redshirt sophomore flourished early and often, having his way with the Beavers’ secondary anywhere and everywhere he wanted to during Ohio State’s 77-31 trouncing over Oregon State. Haskins completed 22-of-30 passes for 313 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception. That lone interception was his only blip on the afternoon and he recognized that following the game.

“The first thing that really stood out was the interception,” he said. “Should have thrown it away, got hit by the tackle while throwing the ball. But otherwise, it was a great job by the offense today. I’m really proud of everybody.”

Really though, it wasn’t even about the stats, even though those were quite impressive. It was the way he could easily throw the ball anywhere on the field. It was the way he was able to command a fast, high-tempo offense. It was the way that he showed little hesitation and threw receivers open at times even if it was a tight window. It was the way that, due to him being able to throw the ball everywhere on the field, he was able to open up holes in the defense for both Mike Weber and J.K. Dobbins. With Haskins’ arm mixed with that duo at running back and the experience at wide receiver, it’s incredible to think of just how dangerous this Ohio State offense can be when they can attack every area of the field.

Wide receiver Terry McLaurin was impressed with how Haskins performed in his first start. He was also proud of his starting quarterback’s composure leading up to Saturday afternoon, admitting that the gunslinger was not only well prepared but had a quiet confidence about him as well.

“The thing that took me back was just how poised he was. He wasn’t nervous, he didn’t show any sense of edginess,” McLaurin said. “He just came in this game ready to make plays, and he told us on the outside. Just be ready. The ball could come to you at any time.

“The O-line did a great job opening holes up and that put stress on them in the passing game as well,” he continued. “So just the poise that he came in with, the quiet confidence that he had today. From a guy who’s making his first start, that was really impressive.”

Prior to the season opener, no Ohio State quarterback had ever thrown for 300 yards or for five touchdowns in their debut start. Haskins did both. The gunslinger started the game with eight straight completions and led the offense to touchdowns on its first seven possessions. With help from his running backs, Haskins and the offense combined for 721 total yards, the second-most yards in a single game in program history.⁴ He was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for his performance. Not bad for a starting debut.

Even though it was just one start, Haskins’ performance brought plenty of questions and “what if”‘s. Should he have started over Barrett in 2017? If he was the starting quarterback last season, would the gunslinger have led the Buckeyes to a national title, instead of a Playoff appearance and getting bounced in the Final Four? Fans seemingly knew that he was this good, why did it take Barrett graduating for him to get his first start? Those are just a few of the many questions that surfaced last Saturday afternoon.

For the first time since head coach Urban Meyer arrived in Columbus in 2012, the Buckeyes have a pass-first quarterback, rather than one who does well in the zone-read offense.⁵ Haskins ran the ball just twice on Saturday. Compare that to Barrett’s 165 carries in 2017 and that’s quite a difference. It not only means more opportunities for receivers but more carries for Weber and Dobbins as well, seemingly making everyone happy on the offense.

“I don’t feel like I need to run the ball, just being able to do what we did today,” Haskins said of his pass-first mentality. “I got running backs like Mike (Weber) and J.K. (Dobbins) that can handle it.”

It’s a change, but seemingly a good one at that. The pass-first style that Haskins brings will not only allow Ohio State to utilize all of their weapons on offense, but it will also be a much more fun and entertaining offense this fall.

In 2008, 11-year-old Haskins had a dream while in Ohio State’s Woody Hayes Athletic Center, the Buckeyes’ practice facility. It was to don the scarlet and gray and be the starting quarterback for the Bucks once he was older.

In 2008, Dwayne Haskins Jr. predicted that he would be a quarterback for Ohio State. Fast forward a decade and he’s set to make his first start in just a few hours. Can only imagine the goosebumps and chills he’ll wake up with this morning. pic.twitter.com/QGbDvYdLhp

— Josh Poloha (@JorshP) September 1, 2018

His dream came true and he flourished in Ohio Stadium Saturday afternoon.

“I was probably nervous earlier in the week but when it came to today. It’s been an 11-year dream. I was thinking about that and just how far I’ve came just to be here. Just to have this opportunity is a blessing,” Haskins said following the game. “It was a dream as a little kid, and just being able to go out there and do it on the field today is just remarkable.

Oregon State isn’t good, as the Beavers begin yet another rebuild with their third head coach in three years after a dismal 1-11 season a year ago. They also may have one of the worst defenses among Power Five schools. All of that should be taken into consideration when we talk about Ohio State’s offense in the season opener, but that shouldn’t take away too much of Haskins’ brilliance in his first start. With the size and arm of a prototypical NFL quarterback, his accuracy, ball placement, and ability to put his pass-catchers in a good position were all a thing of beauty. And to think that he will only improve with more experience. I don’t want to get too ahead of myself given the small, one-game sample size against a much weaker opponent, but the sky seems to be the limit for Ohio State’s offense this fall and it’s going to be so incredibly fun to watch all season.

Barrett led the Buckeyes to plenty of success during his four years as the starting quarterback and that shouldn’t go unnoticed, but Haskins’ potential allows the Buckeyes to open up their offense to so much more and could lead Ohio State to having a much more entertaining offense, one that could result in not only yet another Big Ten championship, but a national title at season’s end.

1. Including most total yards in a season (3,851) and most touchdowns in a season (47) as well as most career passing yards (9,434) and completions (769). [↩]
2. Including most career passing touchdowns (104), total touchdowns (147), and career offensive yards (12,697). [↩]
3. The first Ohio State quarterback ever to do so. [↩]
4. The Buckeyes put up program-best 776 total yards against Bowling Green in 2016. [↩]
5. The three games Cardale Jones started in the inaugural College Football Playoff to lead the Buckeyes to a national title are the lone exception. [↩]