Ohio State Football

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day pushed back on the narrative surrounding Justin Fields' work ethic, saying it's "reckless" to criticize someone he feels was a sensational locker room leader for the Buckeyes.

Day spoke at length with Peter King of NBC Sports about the situation:

"The whole idea that he doesn't have a very good work ethic? I mean, to me, that's crazy. He got done with the Clemson game [the loss in the College Football Playoff in the 2019 season], and he came back and all he did was work to get back to that game. And when those other guys are opting out, what's he do? He petitions to have a season. He put together this petition that the Big Ten athletes all signed saying that they want to play, but they want to play safely and that they don't accept canceling the season. It was all led by Justin Fields. Where was everybody else? Where were the guys who were opting out then? You know, you don't love the game if you're doing something like that. This kid loves the game.

"I heard something about the last one to come in, first one to leave. First off, the scouts weren't in our building all year. Last one in? Every morning, at least every morning we could be in the building, early, he's in with [football sports performance czar] Mickey Marotti. The guys who were self-motivated and could do things on their own, those were the ones who made it. He was unbelievable. He changed his diet, he got stronger. He did better than most."

ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky took criticism last week for passing along information from sources who called Fields "a last-guy-in, first-guy-out type of quarterback" during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. Orlovsky has since apologized for the comments and spoke to Fields privately about the matter, saying he "wasn't good enough in that moment." 

The comments did not come directly from Orlovsky, but his sources seemed to have the opposite information from everyone at Ohio State. Buckeyes coaches and players have praised Fields' leadership and work ethic, and Day is correct in noting the Big Ten may not have had a 2020 season without Fields leading a coalition of players. 

However, Day's own comments to King were reckless in saying players who opted out of the 2020 season do not "love" football. Several players opted out over health concerns during a worldwide pandemic; their decision has nothing to do with the love of the game. Some of those players may have had concerns about their physical well-being—both in terms of the virus and avoiding injury in a pandemic season—while not receiving a salary in a multibillion-dollar industry.

It was unfair of Day ($6 million salary) to question any player with whom he is not familiar, just as it was Orlovsky's sources to question Fields.

The criticism of Fields did not seem to stick; if anything, it's led to more people praising his work ethic in an effort to end the bad narrative. Fields could go as high as No. 3 in this month's NFL draft and will certainly be taken in the top half of the first round. While it's not clear if he'll wind up being a superstar as a pro, odds are his success (or lack thereof) will not come because of a lack of work ethic.

After questions arose Wednesday about Justin Fields, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic spoke to a source who defended the Ohio State quarterback:

This comes after ESPN's Dan Orlovsky said on The Pat McAfee Show that there were "some questions with Justin Fields' work ethic" and he is the "last guy in, first guy out" at practices (via Seth Steere of Around the Block).

Fields is still considered an elite prospect and rated the No. 2 overall player in the class behind only fellow quarterback Trevor Lawrence by Bleacher Report's Scouting Department. 

He also showed his dedication to his team last year when he helped push the Big Ten to restart the season after it was initially canceled. 

Fields' competitiveness was answered during the College Football Playoff when he overcame a big hit that injured his ribs to defeat Clemson in the national semifinal.

Buckeyes coach Ryan Day praised the quarterback's mental and physical attributes heading into the draft.

"He's very, very competitive," Day said, per Adam Rittenberg of ESPN. "So when you combine the talent, the size, the arm strength, his competitiveness, his toughness, his intelligence, it kind of checks all the boxes. If you were trying to design a quarterback, to me, Justin fits that prototype."

That should be enough to remove any doubts regarding the talented player as teams considering making him their franchise quarterback.

Amid the recent movement at the top of the 2021 NFL draft, Justin Fields had his first major moment in front of NFL scouts Tuesday during Ohio State's pro day. 

Among the notable NFL personnel in Columbus, Ohio, were New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas, assistant general manager Rex Hogan and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, per ESPN's Rich Cimini. They own the second overall pick in this year's draft. 

Peter Schrager of Fox Sports and NFL Network noted that Jets head coach Robert Saleh didn't make the trip because his wife is due to give birth at some point soon. 

Once he stepped onto the field, Fields lit up the stopwatches with a 40-yard dash that clocked in at 4.45 seconds. Here is a full list of his measurables, via NFL Network's Aditi Kinkhabwala:

Fields' 40 time became a major talking point from his workout:

Even though Fields has rare speed at the quarterback position, the main attraction for NFL teams is what he can do as a passer. The 22-year-old didn't disappoint:

Tom Fornelli and Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports praised Fields' performance as well as wonder why there appear to be so many questions about him leading up to the draft:

Fields did have a midseason lull last year with 613 passing yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions in three games against Indiana, Michigan State and Northwestern. He rebounded in the Sugar Bowl with 385 yards and six touchdowns in a 49-28 win over Clemson. 

Head coach Ryan Day told reporters after the Buckeyes' 52-24 loss to Alabama in the College Football Playoff Championship Game that Fields wasn't 100 percent due to a hip injury he suffered against Clemson. 

With four weeks remaining until the NFL draft, the consensus seems to be that things will start to get interesting when the San Francisco 49ers go on the clock at No. 3 overall. 

At this point, it would be a surprise if the Jacksonville Jaguars don't take Trevor Lawrence and the Jets don't end up with Zach Wilson. 

The 49ers traded up with the Miami Dolphins with the intention of taking a quarterback. Fields, Mac Jones and Trey Lance seem to be the most likely candidates for them. 

There's still plenty of time for teams evaluating this class to decide, but Fields' performance on Tuesday would seem to solidify his status as a potential top-five pick. 

Ohio State football is pausing all team activities because of a rise in positive COVID-19 tests within the program.

Athletic director Gene Smith said in a statement:

"Our decisions on the welfare of our student-athletes, staff members and those coming to our campus, and our determination as to when we will reopen and resume activities, will continue to be guided by our medical staff.

"We have been successful in safely hosting nearly 100 athletic events on campus this year with limited disruptions, but this pandemic is not over. We will continue to stress the safety measures of wearing masks, consistent and thorough hand washing and physical distancing and we will remain vigilant in those areas."

The decision to pause activities came after the Buckeyes went through a round of PCR testing Monday.

Coronavirus issues during the 2020 season caused three of Ohio State's games to be canceled. Two of the cancellations (at Maryland, vs. Michigan) were due to COVID-19 issues with the opposing teams.

Last year marked the first time since 1917 that the Buckeyes and Wolverines didn't play.

Ohio State is scheduled to begin spring practices March 19. Head coach Ryan Day said last month the team is "hoping" to play a spring game April 17.

George Clooney's production company is partnering with Sports Illustrated to create a docuseries on the sexual abuse scandal at Ohio State, according to the Hollywood Reporter's Rick Porter.

The project is based on a story by Sports Illustrated's Jon Wertheim published in October.

Beyond laying out the allegations against Dr. Richard Strauss, a former sports doctor at Ohio State, Wertheim raised questions about why the school wasn't facing the same kind of sustained scrutiny placed on other schools in similar situations.

He also noted how Ohio State reached a settlement with Strauss' victims that paid them far less than the settlement Michigan State reached with victims of Larry Nassar.

In May 2019, Ohio State released the results of an independent investigation into the allegations of abuse committed by Strauss.

Per the Columbus Dispatch, the investigation found that nearly half of the 177 victims identified were abused within 10 years after Strauss was hired in 1978. It also found that the abuse dated back to as early as 1979.

The investigation found that complaints against Strauss had been made by members of the men's fencing team in November 1994. Dr. John Lombardo, the former medical director of the Ohio State Sports and Medicine Program, wrote a letter responding to complaints and referenced "a decade of rumors" surrounding Strauss.

Upon learning of two fondling complaints in January 1995, the director of Ohio State's University Health Services at the time, Ted Grace, mandated Strauss to have a chaperone during exams. The complaints didn't preclude him from receiving a positive employment evaluation.

Months after Ohio State published the outcome of the investigation, the school faced another lawsuit that brought the total number of victims to roughly 350.

Wertheim's story and the overall reporting on the matter raised questions about whether Ohio State adequately looked into claims against Strauss prior to his retirement in 1998. Strauss killed himself in 2005.

While the Ohio State Buckeyes lost quarterback Justin Fields when he announced he will enter the 2021 NFL draft Monday, they held on to one of the other key pieces in their aerial attack.

Wide receiver Chris Olave announced he will return for his senior season as Ohio State looks to win a national championship after reaching the College Football Playoff title game during the 2020 campaign:

Olave isn't the only notable Buckeyes playmaker who will return to their offense, as tight end Jeremy Ruckert and offensive tackle Thayer Munford Jr. both announced they will be back as well.

So many veterans coming back will be welcome news for whoever emerges as the starting quarterback for Ohio State in 2021. C.J. Stroud, Jack Miller and Kyle McCord are expected to compete for the position, and having weapons such as Olave, Garrett Wilson, Ruckert, Julian Fleming and Jaxon Smith-Njigba will make life much easier for the winner.

Olave arrived at Ohio State as a 3-star prospect in the class of 2018, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

While he was undoubtedly a talented player, he also started his collegiate career as an under-the-radar option at a football powerhouse that is known for bringing in 4- and 5-star recruits. His breakout performance came during the 2018 victory over archrival Michigan when he caught two touchdowns and blocked a punt that Ohio State returned for a touchdown.

From there, he posted 849 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns in 2019 and 729 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in just seven games during the shortened 2020 campaign.

Two of his seven touchdown catches during the past season came in a dominant victory over Clemson in the CFP.

Olave had a chance to go in the first round in the 2021 NFL draft, but there are also a number of wide receivers who can say the same. Ja'Marr Chase, DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, Rashod Bateman, Rondale Moore, Elijah Moore, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Kadarius Toney and Terrace Marshall Jr. are all potential first-round options.

Returning for the 2021 season means Olave can put up impressive numbers once again and solidify himself as a surefire first-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft that may not be quite as deep at wide receiver.

Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields announced his intention Monday to forgo his senior season and enter the 2021 NFL draft.

Fields is largely considered the second-best quarterback in the 2021 class, behind Clemson's Trevor Lawrence. He threw for 2,100 yards and 22 touchdowns against six interceptions during the shortened 2020 season, leading the Buckeyes to the CFP national championship game.  

ESPN's Todd McShay has Fields ranked as the No. 9 overall player in the class. He had Fields going No. 15 to the New England Patriots in his latest mock draft. 

Fields has all the makings of a modern prototype at the quarterback position. His best current comp is probably Texans star Deshaun Watson; both are good-sized, excellent athletes with strong, accurate arms. 

Expecting Fields to perform at Watson's superstar level may be a bit unfair. Watson was better than Fields in college at surveying the field and getting past his first read. Some of the same issues that have plagued Dwayne Haskins as a pro (slow reads, pocket feel) may hamper Fields at first, but he's a far superior athlete to Haskins and may be able to atone for those mistakes with his athleticism while he catches up.

An ugly nationally televised performance against Northwestern in the Big Ten title game gave doubters some ammo and further entrenched Lawrence as the QB1 in this draft class. Fields also struggled in the national championship game against Alabama, though that can be written off due to him dealing with an injury in the semifinals against Clemson. 

It's hard to find much justification for bumping him behind BYU's Zach Wilson or North Dakota State's Trey Lance, each of whom have their share of concerns—largely about the level of competition they faced in college. 

Ohio State had to manage without running back Trey Sermon in the national championship game, and it'll have to do so next season, too.

The star announced in a tweet Sunday that he has declared for the 2021 NFL draft. 

"I am truly excited for the opportunity to pursue my dreams at the next level," he wrote. "I know the best is yet to come for me!"

A graduate transfer this season, Sermon was injured on the opening series of the Buckeyes' loss to Alabama in the championship, though his mother, Natoshia Mitchell, said that the injury "is not serious." 

Sermon ended the year with 870 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 116 carries, highlighted by a pair of career performances when it mattered most. He collected 331 yards with two touchdowns on 29 carries when the Buckeyes defeated Northwestern 22-10 in the Big Ten title game, setting a program and conference championship record for single-game rushing yards.

In the College Football Playoff semifinals against Clemson, he helped OSU punch its ticket to the championship by posting 31 carries for 193 yards and a touchdown to lead all rushers, tacking on 61 receiving yards on four receptions.

Prior to joining the Buckeyes, he spent three seasons at Oklahoma, where he won three Big 12 championships and finished with 2,076 rushing yards and 25 total touchdowns. He was the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year in 2017 and earned All-Big 12 honorable mention as a sophomore. 

"He's a starter at the next level," Jim Nagy, executive director of the Senior Bowl and a former NFL scout, told Brad Crawford of 247Sports. "We watched him last spring on film and you're like, 'Wow! How is this guy transferring?' He was an easy eval. I mean, the dude is really, really talented." 

For now, Sermon will be training for his NFL future in Florida, his mother said (h/t Ben Pickman of Sports Illustrated).