PISCATAWAY, N.J. — The important thing to know about J.T. Barrett, Ohio State’s redshirt sophomore quarterback who is once again the starter after a 10-game interlude, cannot be found in Saturday night’s stat sheet.
Rather, the important thing is his teammates’ comments afterward.
“He wants to be like Peyton Manning,” wide receiver Michael Thomas said of Barrett.
It seems the unlikeliest of comparisons. Manning has fewer rushing yards in his entire N.F.L. career than Barrett did last season. But the analogy is to substance, not style.
“He’s real disciplined – a student of the game,” said Thomas, who benefited from Barrett’s presence to the tune of five catches for 103 yards and a touchdown in the Buckleyes’ 49-7 victory against Rutgers.