J.T. Barrett wears two bracelets, one on each wrist and each with its own specific message. On the left, it says ALWAYS COMPETE and on the right, WIN FOREVER.
Motivational slogans? Cool catchphrases? Slick-looking rubber bands? You choose how to look at them, but perhaps they're a way to keep Barrett grounded as he plows through winter workouts with the rest of his teammates for the first time in his Ohio State tenure as the clear-cut starting quarterback.
"Man, I didn't think about that," Barrett said Wednesday.
Barrett didn't even recognize the reality he is knee deep in after a 12-1 season where Urban Meyer yo-yoed Cardale Jones and the guy who finished fifth in the 2014 Heisman Trophy voting back and forth at the game's most vital position.