Barrett says Ohio State has rules to prevent pre-end zone ball drop
Some people just don't learn, so Ohio State players have been taught how to cross the goal line without prematurely dropping the football, according to quarterback J.T. Barrett.
"When you score, you hand the ball to an official and you go hug a big guy," Barrett told reporters Wednesday after practice, according to ESPN's Austin Ward. "That's the rule. If anybody got away from that and dropped the ball before they crossed the end zone and the other team recovered it, I could only imagine what that day would be like for that man - or the rest of the year - with coach (Urban) Meyer. I just couldn't tell you how awful that might be."
The premature end zone celebration has become a growing trend this season, with players on several high-profile teams guilty of the gaffe.
The Buckeyes saw one of them up close Saturday, as Oklahoma's Joe Mixon dropped the ball inches in front of the goal line on a kickoff return, though the officials never noticed, awarding the Sooners a touchdown.
Clemson's Ray-Ray McCloud and Cal's Vic Enwere have also proven to be too eager to celebrate touchdowns this season.