COLUMBUS, Ohio -- There were options for J.T. Barrett. There will be some for Ohio State in the days ahead, too.
In the end, though, it's simple: As long as Barrett is around, the Buckeyes are going to be national-title contenders.
Barrett could have left for the NFL. And if his low professional stock was too much of a problem, he could have become perhaps the most coveted, prolific graduate transfer college football has ever seen. He chose to stay, which should come as no surprise given his loyalty to the program that recruited him, the opportunity to keep rewriting the record books and a chance to improve a legacy that was somewhat tarnished last week in the College Football Playoff.