Early Saturday morning, Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett was reportedly arrested near the campus for operating a motor vehicle while impaired.
Eleven Warriors’ Eric Seger was the first to report the news, which was later confirmed by ESPN’s Brett McMurphy. Barrett will be suspended for the team’s next game, a November 7th matchup against Minnesota, according to a statement released by the school.
Statement from Ohio State athletics department pic.twitter.com/IWhAQaWVth
— Mark Schlabach (@Mark_Schlabach) October 31, 2015
McMurphy also confirmed that, because this is a misdemeanor, Barrett is not subject to the mandatory two-week suspension.
Ohio State AD Gene Smith tells @espn because J.T. Barrett’s arrest is misdemeanor, he’s not subject to mandatory 2-week suspension
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) October 31, 2015
Barrett made his first start, after taking over for Cardale Jones, last week against Rutgers. He finished 14 for 18 for 223 yards and three touchdowns in the air, as well as 101 yards and another two touchdowns on the ground on the way to a 49-7 Buckeye victory. Jones had started the first seven games for the team, but struggled enough for Urban Meyer to make a change.
It will be interesting to see how this incident affects the Ohio State quarterback situation. While Barrett played very well in his one game, this is not the ideal circumstance for a team captain and leader at quarterback.
While the Nov. 7th suspension against Minnesota has been confirmed by the university, we may see Barrett back the following week as the Buckeyes travel to Illinois.