J.T. Barrett passes Drew Brees for Big Ten total offense record

It seems fitting that in J.T. Barrett’s 50th and final game as the quarterback for Ohio State, he goes and breaks yet another record; this time the Big Ten all-offense record. Heading into the Cotton Bowl matchup against USC, Barrett needed just 175 yards to tie the record previously held by Purdue’s Drew Brees (12,692 yards).

Barrett broke the record on one of his few downfield completions of the game, a 20-yard connection with tight end Marcus Baugh, nearly three minutes into the fourth quarter. Barrett finished his career with 12,697 yards.

This was one of the few school and conference records that the fifth-year quarterback hadn’t yet broken in his legendary career, and now #16 has claimed one more top spot. His legacy at Ohio State has been marred with untimely injuries and QB controversies, but Barrett has been a leader since the beginning and his effort and dedication has never been questioned since first suiting up in the Scarlet and Gray.

Heading into his final game leading the Buckeyes, Barrett was already one of the most decorated players to ever compete at Ohio State, holding over 20 school records as he finishes his collegiate career. Before the bowl game, Barrett had just under 3,000 passing yards (2,939) and 732 rushing yards, along with 104 and 41 touchdowns, respectively.

As Barrett’s Ohio State career comes to a close, it’s nice to see that he’s once again cemented himself in both Buckeye and Big Ten history.

(Plus, he’s now bested just about every record held by Super Bowl-winning QB Drew Brees, and that’s pretty cool.)