Ohio State quarterback suspended after driving while impaired
November 1, 2015 - 8:06 am
Ohio State University's head football coach suspended his starting quarterback J.T. Barrett from the team's next game after the player was charged with driving a vehicle while impaired, the university said on Saturday.
The suspension by head coach Urban Meyer will keep the sophomore out of Ohio State's Nov. 7 game against Minnesota, the school said. Ohio State, ranked the No. 1 team in the country, had no game scheduled this Saturday.
Columbus police stopped Barrett, 20, at a campus area checkpoint and gave him a misdemeanor citation for impaired driving, the school said in a brief statement.
Police told the Columbus Dispatch newspaper that Barrett's blood-alcohol content was .099 when he was stopped. The legal limit for a driver younger than 21 is .02 and .08 for those 21 and older, the newspaper reported.
A police spokesman could not be reached immediately for further comment.
As a freshman during the 2014 season, Barrett led Ohio State to an 11-1 record before breaking his ankle in the Big Ten championship game against Michigan. The team went on to win the national championship while Barrett finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting.