Ohio State QB J.T. Barrett suspended for Minnesota game after OVI
Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett has been suspended for the Buckeyes’ game against Minnesota on November 7 after he was arrested on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated early Saturday morning.
The Buckeyes are off this weekend. The school announced his suspension after 9 a.m. ET Saturday.
Ohio State University student-athlete J.T. Barrett was cited by Columbus police Saturday morning at a campus area check point with a misdemeanor offense of OVI. Barrett has been suspended by head coach Urban Meyer from playing in Ohio State’s game against Minnesota on Nov. 7.
Barrett’s absence means that Cardale Jones will resume being Ohio State’s starting quarterback. Jones, who replaced Barrett after Barrett broke his ankle against Michigan in 2014, started the season as the Buckeyes’ QB. Barrett saw some playing time and after he was more effective than Jones, especially in the red zone, he was named the starter for Ohio State’s game against Rutgers.
According to ElevenWarriors.com, Barrett blew slightly over the legal limit of 0.08 when he was stopped at the checkpoint. He was given a ride home by Jones.
The site also notes that Barrett could be subject to a two-week suspension as part of Ohio State’s athlete code of conduct since it’s an alcohol-related offense and he’s underage. If the suspension were to start immediately, he would only miss the Minnesota game.
Barrett is 41-62 passing for 472 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions this season. He also has 42 carries for 329 yards rushing and he’s Ohio State’s second-leading rusher behind Ezekiel Elliott.
Jones is 96-152 passing for 1,266 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions. He chose to stay in school after leading Ohio State to the College Football Playoff title instead of heading to the NFL draft where he could have been a high-round pick because of his size and arm strength.
The two quarterbacks competed to be the starter through the summer and fall after Braxton Miller, who missed the 2014 season because of a shoulder injury, announced he would swich to H-back. Miller is Ohio State’s third-leading rusher and receiver. The Buckeyes, 8-0, are widely expected to be in the top four, if not at No. 1, when the College Football Playoff committee releases its first set of rankings on Tuesday.
For more Ohio State news, visit BuckeyeGrove.com.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
