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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

December 4, 2016

J.T. Barrett

Columbus, Ohio

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. What was your vibe this week? Did you feel like you were definitely in the College Football Playoff or were you a little bit nervous?
J.T. BARRETT: Actually, I mean, me, myself, I felt like we were at a pretty good spot. I mean, when you think about our games, the competition we played, I thought as far as our whole season, I thought that said a lot for us. So I wasn't really nervous, just excited where we was going to be placed.

Q. Who were you watching with the selection show? Did you erupt? We knew it anyway? What was the reaction?
J.T. BARRETT: I was at the house by myself because I live by myself watching on my couch, eating some chicken wings, actually.

Yeah, it wasn't one of those things when I saw it, you know, obviously excited. I was telling Adam, our media guy, I'm actually a healthy body. As you see, I'm not on a scooter or anything.

No, I think it's a blessing just to be healthy throughout the long season, just to be able to play, man, it's crazy. I'm thankful for that.

Q. What is your relationship with Deshaun Watson? I assume you are good friends. Did you talk after you saw you were selected to play in the Fiesta Bowl?
J.T. BARRETT: Yeah, he's one of the good friends of mine. Quarterbacks, we oftentimes are a tight circle of us.

No, I texted him. I said, I'll see you in Arizona, brother.

He's like, All right, let's get it.

It's going to be exciting. We're both competitors. Love our teams. We're going to fight to the end in order to get that victory. So it's going to be good.

Q. When you look at the last few games y'all have played indoors, is that a function of the offense playing better indoors, it being easier, or something else?
J.T. BARRETT: No, I never even thought of that. I think one of the things is preparation. Our coaches do a great job of having us prepared in order to play in big games. I think in that case it just so happens that the big games were indoors.

It's more of our preparation, even being locked in on their assignments and going out and playing well.

Q. You had success in Glendale last year. It's also a place where you already have been there and done that, know where you need to be at certain times, already have an schedule. Is there an advantage to that?
J.T. BARRETT: I think that plays a part in that. If anything, coaches make sure as a team we're all together. That has something to do with it.

When you think about it, our team is so young. Some of those guys, I mean, a lot of them, as far as like the freshmen in 2015, but the 2016 guys that are playing a lot of football for us, they weren't there.

With the older guys, we've been there. We need to make sure everybody is on the same page in order for what we need to do to play our best.

Q. Two years ago you said after Ohio State won it all, it was not bittersweet, but you were happy to be a part of it. Now you are going to be the quarterback in the post-season. What does that mean to you? How excited are you for that opportunity, especially when there are a lot of questions about the passing game?
J.T. BARRETT: Yeah, that's the thing. It's truly a blessing. It's one of the things when I first came here, wrote down my goals. One of them was to win a national championship. We won one, but I didn't get to play in it because I broke my ankle.

I mean, now that we're in the mix for it all, I'm a healthy body, just thankful for the blessing God has gave me.

As far as like the passing game questions, I don't -- you hit me with it again. We was there in the season. I don't have questions in it. I mean, I think we're going to do what we do best, and that's run the ball, play-action pass, score points.

So I don't know.

Q. We've asked you a lot this season about the record books, where you stood amongst some other guys. You always talk about wins and losses. Does that mean that month some sort of legacy conversation will be in your mind, what two wins could mean for your place?
J.T. BARRETT: I mean, when I think about that stuff, I think that's something I want to talk about when I'm probably, I don't know, retired from playing ball and sitting at the house somewhere in the South. That's what I'm going to think about.

Right now the main thing is to win this game against Clemson. I think that's what I'm about. I think at the end of the day that's all that really matters, is are you able to win football games. I feel like, you know, there's players that may have put up a lot of points, but at the end of the day, the team, they don't win.

That's what we talk about at the end of the day, is are you a winner or did your team lose. I feel like I'm a winner. I'm worried about winning this game against Clemson and making sure we get everybody on the same page, go out there and play our best.

Q. Coach talked about how he's excited to see how great the Big Ten is this year, how far it's come. Do you think the three teams in the top 16, the challenges you face every week against these teams, that's going to help you with the next battles?
J.T. BARRETT: Yeah, so I think that's one of the reasons why we're becoming a really good team, is 'cause when the going gets rough, we tend to get better. I mean, you think about we played in overtime games I think it was twice this year. I don't know how many times it was. We played in some tight ballgames. With that, I think that helps you when it comes to games like this. We really all know it's not a blowout game, everybody is going to fight still the bitter end. You have to play well till the end of the game.

Being in the Big Ten, I feel it was the best conference this year. I think that makes us all the better when it comes to playing against Clemson.

Q. Being named first team all Big Ten, quarterback of the year in the conference, congratulations.
J.T. BARRETT: Appreciate that.

Q. Is that something you feel you're going to carry on your shoulders going into your game prep taking on Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl?
J.T. BARRETT: I guess I don't really think about it like that. I think my main thing is to go out there and play my best. I think my best is pretty good. Puts us in a place to win games.

With that, yeah, I don't really think about that necessarily. But just go out there, make sure I play at my best. I think when I do that, our offense is going to be playing very well. We oftentimes will win that game.

Q. You had the best seat in the house for the playoff last time around. This way of deciding a champion, four best teams, semifinals, championship, I know it's a grind for the players, but what did you think of it? Is it fun? Is it a cool way to decide a champion? What did you think of the playoff?
J.T. BARRETT: I think it is. One thing, it's exciting week-to-week for college football fans. As far as players, I think, I don't know, it's one of those things when the first rankings come out, it's like do they really hold much meaning. It's only been the third year of it. You sit there and try to focus on each game. As a player, you don't try to get wrapped up in the College Football Playoff like college football fans are able to do just because it takes away from each game.

Understand those come out in November. That's when you definitely need to make sure you're winning ballgames. As a player, I know we definitely didn't talk about it. There was nothing to talk about really. So with that, I think it's exciting for college football and the fans, the great fans of college football. As far as a player, at times you get kind of bogged down because that's all that's being talked about. That's all you see running across ESPN.

Just make sure you stay focused on each game.

Q. This bowl practice season coming up, how much better can this team get and how much better do you think this team needs to get for this playoff?
J.T. BARRETT: Win or lose, you always find things to get better at. There's numerous things we can get better at. I think one of the main things that Coach Meyer, we talk about, is being nine unit strong, make sure if you're playing at a championship level in your unit, then that's all you can do. That's all we need to do in order to win a game. That's what's going to be needed in order to beat Clemson, make sure we're nine unit strong.

With this time we have, 27 days, we're going to be at a good place as far as being nine unit strong. Our coach is going to do a good job of getting us ready for that.

Q. You don't necessarily like this question, but I'll ask it. Where do you need to get better in the passing game? What needs to get better in the realm of the nine units aspect of things?
J.T. BARRETT: I think watching games oftentimes I would probably say myself, just helping the receivers out. When you get in these tight ballgames, going against great DBs, they're going to be open, but it's going to be not by much. I think I can do a better job of having ball placement to make it easier on them. They're getting open, but it's not, you know what I'm saying, breakaway. I have to do a great job of getting them the ball.

Two, just helping out our O-line. O-line is young. We're going to be in big-time games. Knowing they're going to pressure us. I think being able to help our O-line slide into protections, blitzes, I can help out on that. I think those are probably the main things.

I think, like I said, we do that, or if I do that, we'll be good.

Q. You and Curtis are two of the four finalists for the Silver Football Award. What does that say? What kind of honor is it to be a finalist?
J.T. BARRETT: Yeah, it's a tremendous honor. Curt, he's been balling out for us this whole year. Obviously a big part of our offense, what we do.

It's one of the things you don't take time out to think about it during the course of the season. You go out there to win games, play your best. I think it says a lot saying the Big Ten Conference was the best this year, being up for that award, it's a humbling type of thing because you really don't, you know what I'm saying, put your goals out before the season trying to get those things. When they come, or if they do, you're grateful for that.

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