Barrett is getting Heisman recognition, Barkley had a less than stellar game, and Northwestern is finally living up to expectations.
By Pete Ruden
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Ohio State is for real.
Despite the early season loss, the Buckeyes picked up their biggest win of the season on Oct. 28, when they took down No. 2 Penn State, 39-38.
J.T. Barrett had a tremendous game against the Nittany Lions, going 33-of-39 and passing for 328 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also made an impact on the ground, amassing 95 yards.
He was even more impressive in the fourth quarter, completing all 13 of his pass attempts while throwing 3 of his 5 touchdowns in the final 15 minutes.
Now sitting at 25 touchdown passes with just 1 interception, Barrett has finally cracked the top 5 of ESPN’s Heisman Watch, where he sits at No. 4.
Even though it’s becoming more and more possible as the season goes on, Barrett and Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer aren’t focused on the Heisman.
Instead, they’re focused on the upcoming game against Iowa in dangerous Kinnick Stadium on Saturday.
“Certainly not [talking about the Heisman] right now,” Meyer said. “He had a really good game. In fact, he had one of the best games in college football history, certainly one of the best quarters in college football history. Other than that, let’s go beat Iowa.”
Saquon stoppers?
In the loss to Ohio State, Heisman favorite Saquon Barkley had his worst game of the season.
He scored once, but went for just 44 yards on 22 carries, an average of 2.1 yards per carry.
He also had his second worst contribution of the season in the passing game, recording merely 4 receptions for 23 yards.
Even with the underwhelming performance, Barkley is still considered by many to be the favorite to win the Heisman.
Barrett thoroughly outplayed him, but Barkley has had an amazing season. With games left on the schedule against Michigan State, Rutgers, Nebraska, and Maryland, Barkley and the rest of the Nittany Lions are bound to bounce back.
“I think it’s really important how the coach handles it, what his message is with the staff, what his message is with the players,” Penn State head coach James Franklin said. “I think the head coach can either make the situation tougher or make the situation better, and you can take this opportunity to learn and grow. In some ways, it’s the best time to learn and grow.”
Northwestern on the rise?
After a slow start to the season that included a 24-point loss to Duke, the Wildcats have bounced back in a big way.
Northwestern also suffered losses to two of the best teams in the conference in Wisconsin and Penn State in back-to-back weeks, but it has picked up the pace, winning its last three.
It has won in overtime in each of the past two weeks, beating Iowa at home, 17-10, and taking down No. 16 Michigan State in triple overtime, 39-31.
Running back Justin Jackson gave Northwestern the momentum to start its run with a 171-yard, 2-touchdown performance against Maryland on Oct. 14.
Jackson has combined for 134 yards over the past two games, but Clayton Thorson has picked up the offense, throwing for 356 yards and 2 touchdowns with no picks against the Spartans.
Both have still been able to make an impact, as Jackson had a season-high 7 catches last week and recorded 5 more against Iowa on Oct. 21.
“You just take what the defense gives you,” Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “Trying to make sure if you do load the box or do play a scheme that’s going to try to do everything they can to stop the run or load the box, you can still get the ball in your best playmaker’s hands.”