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J.T. Barrett gives insight on pressure of playing QB at Ohio State, C.J. Stroud

Austin-Wardby:Austin Ward•02/20/22•

AWardSports

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Former Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett is on the Buckeye Cruise. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

MARINER OF THE SEAS — The realization comes sooner or later for every Ohio State quarterback.

C.J. Stroud got his after two games in the lineup for the Buckeyes — and J.T. Barrett can relate after dealing with the exact same situation.

Both young quarterbacks lost in their second starts for Ohio State, hearing all about as the criticism from outside of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center was amplified directly onto their phones thanks to social media. Both also quickly learned to switch off the notifications and wound up breaking Ohio State records after focusing on what truly mattered in one of the most unique pressure-cooker positions in sports.

“It came down on me pretty hard after losing to Virginia Tech,” the Ohio State legend said on Saturday after an autograph session aboard the Buckeye Cruise. “And at that time it was said, it was hard, no doubt. But I feel like I was able to recognize where those people really come from. The stuff I was reading in those comments, that all comes from a real hateful, hurtful place, right? I’m just reading it like: Man, you guys are really angry.

“It was like: Did y’all not know that I was trying to do everything I could in order to win? … So, I turned my notifications off real quick. And it’s just one of those things where social media isn’t real life.”

Barrett bounced back in a hurry for the eventual national champions. And after Stroud had his similar realization in September, he went on to finish fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting and is poised to return to Ohio State as one of the most influential players in the country.

J.T. Barrett offered some insight on that process along with some thoughts about the development of Stroud as he sat down with Lettermen Row for a chat over the weekend.

The full video is available below and on the Lettermen Row YouTube channel thanks to our friends at Roosters.

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