Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett was honored as the J. Curtis Stanford Offensive MVP award recipient after leading the Buckeyes to a 24-7 victory over USC. Barrett rushed for two touchdowns and produced one Big Ten and two school records in the 82nd Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic and his final game as a Buckeye.
Less than three minutes into the matchup, Barrett set the tone notching a school record on the first touchdown of the game. Barrett eclipsed the single-season touchdown record, which he added to in the second quarter with a 28-yard score to bring his total to 47 in the 2017 season. Looking for more, the Wichita Falls, Texas native smashed his own single-season school record for total yards accumulating 3,851 this year.
The winningest starting quarterback in Ohio State history closed his career by surpassing Drew Brees (Purdue) as the Big Ten all-time leader in total offensive yards (12,696).
On the evening, Barrett’s two rushing touchdowns led the team and tied as the second-most of his career. He threw 11-17 with no interceptions on the day.
The Sanford MVP Trophy is named in memory of Goodyear Cotton Bowl Founder J. Curtis Sanford, who was inducted into the inaugural class of the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame in 1998. This marks Ohio State’s first J. Curtis Stanford Offensive MVP honoree.