Just a week after taking over Ohio State's starting quarterback job, J.T. Barrett was cited early Saturday morning by police for operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OVI), the school has confirmed.
Barrett, 20, has been suspended from the Buckeyes' Nov. 7 game against Minnesota after receiving the misdemeanor citation. Ohio State does not have a game this weekend.
Barrett first attempted to avoid a Columbus Police Department OVI checkpoint, but then took a breathalyzer test and registered above the legal limit for blood-alcohol content, according to elevenwarriors.com. The report was later confirmed by ESPN.
Barrett was teammate and fellow quarterback Cardale Jones for a ride home, according to the report.
Barrett took over as the starting quarterback for the defending national champion Buckeyes from Jones last week, and responded with a prolific performance in a 49-7 win over Rutgers. He completed 14 of 18 passes forr 223 yards and three scores, and rushed for 101 yards on 13 carries with two more touchdowns. Jones has struggled at times this season, particularly early in games, after winning the starting nod in the preseason.
Last year, he led OSU to an 11-1 regular season record before a season-ending injury yielded the starting job to Jones, after which the Buckeyes went onto win the College Football Playoff.
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