LITTLE ROCK — Apparently, some folks with disposable income have come to realize that J.T. Barrett has one more year to play quarterback for Ohio State.Remember Barrett — the bridge between two-time Big Ten Offensive Player Braxton Miller and the extraordinary three-game production of Cardale Jones in the CFP championship year — who was 11-1 as a starter? Last year, his ride on the quarterback carousel in Columbus with Miller and Jones included a one-game suspension for drunken driving.But, Barrett was 28-of-46 for 334 yards and ran 42 times for 235 yards when the Buckeyes closed the regular season with a 29-point victory over Michigan and a 16-point victory over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. Uncharacteristically, coach Urban Meyer has already named Barrett one of three captains for 2016.Barrett is not the only reason that enough dollars were wagered on the Buckeyes to win the CFP championship that odds on Ohio State were cut in half, from 12-to-1 to 6-to-1. At that price, the Buckeyes are the favorite, a tick ahead of defending champion Alabama, according to Bovada.lv.By the way, SEC fans would do well to realize that Ohio State athletes do not fit the stereotype that Big Ten players are big and slow. The Buckeyes sent 14 players to the NFL combine, more than any other school, and they performed exceptionally well. Five ran 4.5 or better in the 40-yard dash, including two defensive backs, a linebacker, and 225-pound running back Ezekiel Elliott.Money wagered on Michigan has reduced the Wolverines’ odds from 12-to-1 to 7.5-to-1, tied with Clemson for third.The odds on three SEC schools are among others that have dropped — Tennessee from 22-to-1 to 14-1, Ole Miss from 22-to-1 to 20-to-1, and, inexplicably, Auburn from 50-to-1 to 33-to-1. For Arkansas fans, odds are up from 50-1 to 75-1.Also in the Western Division, LSU is steady at 14-1, Texas A&M is 66-1, and Mississippi State is 200-1.•••Nobody in the country does a better job of getting top dollar for a football game than Arkansas State University athletics director Terry Mohajir.His latest coup is a $1.7 million payday to play at Alabama in 2018. This year, ASU of the Sun Belt Conference plays at Auburn for $1.3 million. Next year, ASU’s opponent is Nebraska and the check is $1.65 million.“It’s about being confident about who you are and how you talk to people,” Mohajir said in a 2013 interview. …
Continue Reading: Ohio State’s Barrett boosts Buckeyes past Bama, Clemson
