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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 28, 2017

J.T. Barrett

Columbus, Ohio

Ohio State - 39, Penn State - 38

Q. Going into the fourth quarter obviously you guys were down 11, what did you say to your teammates before those last two drives? And what got you into (indiscernible)?
J.T. BARRETT: Honestly, we've been in those situations quite a bit, whether it be spring ball or fall camp. What was going through my head was Coach Meyer saying go win the game. He says that all the time, go win the game.

And that's something that we've been in that position before. And it was a great thing for our guys to go out there and execute it, and all 11 guys did their part.

Q. It's been kind of an interesting up and down season, and we've asked you a lot over the last five weeks how it's been for you. Can you give us -- now that you're at the highest maybe you've been in your entire career -- some insight on what it might have been like after the Oklahoma game? And do you have a special message for people maybe the loud majority who didn't want you to be the starting quarterback of this team anymore?
J.T. BARRETT: I mean, I don't know. I'm at a great spot right now. It's my senior year being the quarterback at Ohio State. I love the guys in the locker room, love the brotherhood that we have. With that, that's what I focus on. I don't really focus on I guess the critiques that people have to say about me.

I mean, everybody has a right to their own opinion. That's okay with that. And so that's something that doesn't affect me. But right now I think I just am thankful and thanking God how blessed I am to be in the position I am.

I tell you all the time I'm just a little cat from Wichita Falls, Texas. People don't even know where it is on the map. But other than that, I'm grateful for the position God has put me in, and I can't say how much I'm blessed.

Q. There were two moments that stuck out to me. After the fumble you were bent over on the field. Looked like you were in total disbelief. And before the fourth down play for the defense, you just sprinted out into the huddle there. Talk about what you were thinking about in the moment after the fumble and what you said to the defense there?
J.T. BARRETT: So when I had that fumble I was actually trying to hand it off. I wasn't even trying to pull it. It's one of those things, like, really, J.T.? Right now? That's not the best timing. So there was a lot of game left to be played.

And when that fourth down came, in that timeout, I said the exact same thing. I said to the offense, let's go win the game. I mean, that was going through my head the entire game was you have to go win the game.

When it came down to the critical moments where we had to go make plays, we made those plays and we came out and win the game.

Q. You often say that you're the same guy. You don't feel like you're playing any differently. You look different, the fourth quarter looked different. That completion percentage against the defense, were you in a different kind of zone at the end of this game than you've been in before?
J.T. BARRETT: I don't know. Because when you say like I'm different, I feel like I would have to be thinking different in order to feel different. But I don't really feel any different because I'm thinking the same. I'm thinking about the preparation -- what's the down and distance, all these different things that go into a game.

It's not like I'm telling myself anything new. But, no, I think that's what we had to do to go win the game. We had to go drive the ball down field. And took a lot of passes to do that.

And so I think the "O" line did a great job of blocking them up front because those guys, they do a great job of just bull rushing up the middle and then attacking with speed on the edge. So they did a great job on that. And the guys on the opposite side made plays.

Q. You're a Heisman Trophy candidate now. You might be the front runner. Urban said that. It's worth talking about now. What are your thoughts on that?
J.T. BARRETT: He said the H word. I'm going to say the same thing, that H word. I don't really focus on it. Next week we've got to go beat Iowa. That's what I'll go focus on.

Q. In the fourth quarter the offense comes alive. The defense gets key stops. Special teams gets the block there that's key. Collectively I think that's the effort that you guys have been looking for all season long. What prompted that? How did it all come together, because it seemed like it was bits and pieces up until that fourth quarter?
J.T. BARRETT: When it comes down to playing a Big Ten game, it's Penn State, No. 2 in the country, at home. Somebody's gotta step up and make plays. We talk about that it in the offseason. Who is going to make the plays?

And I think we have a lot of people on our team that have that burning desire to go make those plays. And I think that's what you want your team, you want to have a team or people that are sharp in those moments.

So people stepped up and made those plays and had confidence in themselves. And at the end of the day that's really what you want.

Q. On the winning touchdown pass, Marcus Baugh broke wide open in the middle. Just give me your thought as you see that happening? What are your thoughts?
J.T. BARRETT: Oh, well, what was happening, I saw the linebacker, I think it was 43, I was, like, J, just put it over the linebacker and we score. And so I was able to do that.

That was about it. He was getting depth. I think he saw me looking at him, and I was able to put it in a good spot. And Marcus made a great catch.

Q. We've seen the videos of you behind the scene, like a crazed dog. And yet you're up here, calm. How do you behave during the game? What do you say to guys? They know this about you, but is that inspirational to them, would you say?
J.T. BARRETT: What is inspirational?

Q. The way you behind the scenes deal with them.
J.T. BARRETT: I don't know. I think something interesting that I didn't hear until Coach Wilson came, he said as a leader you have different clubs. Like in golf. Like you have different ways to go about certain situations. So you just can't come across one way. And that kind of stuck with me.

Coach Day agreed with him. So with that, I mean, there's some times where I've got to come across aggressive and intense and get our guys motivated, and other times where you need poise and let everybody know that everything is going to be all right. We just gotta stick together and it's going to work out.

Q. (Indiscernible)?
J.T. BARRETT: I was kind of the poised one, just positive energy. Coach Day said stay up and be positive. And I was able to do that.

Q. Urban called it a Y seam look back is the name of that play. How often do you guys run that? And what look do you want on that, did you see and what was the direction?
J.T. BARRETT: The last touchdown?

Q. Yeah.
J.T. BARRETT: We actually put that in like Wednesday. We had, like, two weeks to prepare, or I think it was Wednesday or Tuesday. And so with that, it was -- put them in a tight spot, being that they played cover six. They play cover two in the boundary. They've got two guys running up on him, so your guy's gotta make a decision.

And then the play action definitely helped. But I mean, I'm looking at the safety to see which one he picks because whoever he does he's wrong.

But at the end of the day "O" line did their part and bargained with the play action. That was a gap play-action pass and that's a tough thing to do, especially against those guys. And they did their part, and I threw it to a wide-open person.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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