Ohio State Football

Quarterback Justin Fields is the primary reason Ohio State has an opportunity to play for a national championship. Star receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson form one of the nation's best duos on the outside. Running back Trey Sermon has put up gaudy numbers while helping the Buckeyes win the Big Ten and reach the national title game.

But the biggest improvement for this offense is not a glamorous one. It doesn't catch the attention of casual viewers on a play-by-play basis, even though the players are always on screen.

Ohio State's offensive line has started to dominate.

Early in the season, that was decidedly not the case. Although the Buckeyes had a ton of experience and high-level talent up front, the O-line played just OK.

Nebraska and Rutgers generated pressure on Fields consistently, and Penn State often disrupted running plays. Then a hyper-aggressive Indiana unit disorganized OSU's blockers. The Hoosiers totaled five sacks and three interceptions, and they put a lot more stress on Fields than the box score showed.

Through four games in a unique year, it certainly wasn't time to panic. For a program with championship expectations, however, the shortcomings left an uncomfortable feeling.

To really compete with Alabama or Clemson or another top team, that needed to change.

Because of COVID-19 health and safety protocols, even the chance for improvement required a delay.

Ohio State could not travel to Illinois, and three O-line starters missed the victory over Michigan State. Michigan's coronavirus issues struck the rivalry game, leaving a full month between the Buckeyes' semi-concerning Indiana win and the next game in which their first-choice offensive line took the field together: the Big Ten Championship Game.

With a conference title and College Football Playoff berth on the line, Ohio State had a razor-thin margin for error.

Fields didn't have a great performance. Most of that can be attributed to Northwestern's secondary, while Olave's absence didn't help. In the first half, Day's play-calling leaned on Fields to push the ball downfield to little success. He entered the locker room 9-of-20 with 101 yards and an interception.

But as the passing game's aggression went unrewarded, the offensive line showed its potential on the ground. Excluding three sacks, Ohio State had 123 rushing yards on 14 attempts. Sermon, then, controlled the second half. He ripped off gains of 65, 33, 28, 25 and 23 yards, also scoring twice en route to setting a program record with 331 yards.

In the wise (NSFW) words of Marshawn Lynch—condensed for brevity—Sermon and the offensive line ran through Northwestern over and over and over and over and over and over again.

That excellence up front changed the game, and it set the stage for redemption in two ways against Clemson. The obvious one was Ohio State lost to Clemson in last year's CFP. Plus, the Buckeyes struggled with blitz-happy Indiana, and Clemson coordinator Brent Venables is revered for his havoc defenses.

The offensive line—even absent left guard Harry Miller because of a positive coronavirus test—made sure it didn't matter.

Wyatt Davis said the O-line quickly knew it would play well.

"I would say right after that first series we knew," the All-American right guard told reporters. "That's typically when we know, but especially with this game, right after the first series, we knew that we could control the line of scrimmage. I feel like we did a great job of doing that."

Although Fields took a crushing hit from linebacker James Skalski, it happened when he scrambled. The line continually kept Fields clean—especially in the second half with his limited mobility—and created lanes for Sermon. Ohio State racked up 639 yards at a sizzling 8.9 per snap in the 49-28 victory.

Yes, smart game-planning also helped.

Clemson is known for stealing signals, which is both legal and attempted by every team. So, Ohio State huddled more. Or substituted late. Or sprinted to the line of scrimmage. That consistently caught Clemson's defense adjusting late or waiting for a call, providing a valuable edge to the offensive line too.

Sermon's early touchdown is a perfect example of how Ohio State could catch Clemson scrambling.

That's a complementary piece, though. The recent success is a product of the offensive line's flat-out being better.

"It wasn't always so much of a schematic deal," head coach Ryan Day told reporters. "It was more about getting a pads down, hands inside, running feet, all the things that come with that."

Whether the improvement continues against Alabama is the important question. The Crimson Tide have allowed just 3.2 yards per carry—the 11th-best mark nationally—so the Buckeyes are preparing for another great challenge.

No matter what happens, Ohio State wouldn't be in this position without the improved line. Perhaps it's only fitting the unit is likely to determine the outcome of the national title game.

Despite suffering a rib injury against Clemson, Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields is expected to be on the field against Alabama for the national championship game.

"We definitely expect him to play," head coach Ryan Day told reporters Monday.

Day said he would not get into details about the specifics of the injury.

Fields took a big hit from Clemson's James Skalski, resulting in the linebacker being ejected for targeting. The quarterback stayed in the game but received treatment on the sideline, including multiple shots for pain tolerance.

"It's pretty much my whole right torso that's messed up and a little bit of my hip but they didn't really give me a diagnosis," he said after the game.

"After each and every throw, my ribs hurt," Fields added.

The pain didn't seem to affect Fields' play as he finished with 385 passing yards and six touchdowns to go with 42 rushing yards on eight carries.

It lifted the Buckeyes to a 49-28 upset victory and the school's first trip to the national title game since 2014.

"He's as tough and competitive of a guy as I've ever been around," Day said of Fields Monday.

Ohio State will need him once again to stick with Alabama, which has one of the best offenses in recent years with an average of 48.2 points per game and several elite playmakers like DeVonta Smith and Najee Harris.

If Fields cannot play in next Monday's game, the Buckeyes have few options considering no one else has thrown a pass for the team this season. C.J. Stroud does have a rushing touchdown this season and could be the next man up if needed.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day is reportedly not interested in accepting NFL interviews during the 2021 offseason after leading the Buckeyes to the national championship game against Alabama.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the update Sunday.

Day's name popped up in the conversation Saturday when Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported he would be a candidate for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are expected to fire Doug Marrone, if his OSU predecessor, Urban Meyer, opts to stay retired.

It sounds like the 41-year-old New Hampshire native doesn't have any imminent plans to leave the Buckeyes, though.

Day has done a terrific job with one of the country's top football programs since replacing the retired Meyer in 2019. He's guided the Buckeyes to a 23-1 record, including a 15-0 mark in Big Ten play, with the only loss coming to Clemson in last season's Fiesta Bowl during the playoff semifinals.

Ohio State avenged that defeat Friday when it scored a 49-28 victory over the Tigers to punch its ticket to the Jan. 11 national title game against Alabama.

Regardless of what happens against the Crimson Tide, Day and Co. have continued to build for future success with the nation's No. 2 recruiting class for 2021, per 247Sports. They trail only Bama in the rankings.

In November, Day explained he preferred the structure of college football to that of the NFL, which he said is built to enhance parity.

"I believe this is the best place in America, the best job in America," he told reporters.

All told, Day would immediately become a top-flight coaching candidate if he were to express interest in making the transition to the pro level, but it appears Buckeyes fans can rest easy for now.

Florida cornerback Jaheim Singletary is heading to Ohio State after announcing his commitment on Twitter on Saturday.

The 6'1", 170-pound defender earned a 5-star rating from 247Sports' Composite Rankings, which named him the No. 2 player in the state of Florida for 2022, the No. 5 cornerback and the No. 10 player in the country overall. The Jacksonville native picked Ohio State over offers from Clemson, Georgia, Florida, Auburn and several other high-profile schools.

In an interview with Bucknuts (h/t Zack Carpenter of Eleven Warriors), Singletary discussed the importance of so many OSU defensive backs making the leap to the NFL: "Ohio State is one of those schools who puts the top DBs in the league. Marshon Lattimore, Eli Apple, Malik Hooker, many more. They can get me closer to my goal of getting to the NFL and playing ball."

247Sports' Miami insider Andrew Ivins projected Singletary as a future first-round pick in the NFL draft, comparing him to Jalen Ramsey:

"A physically imposing defender with a 74-inch wingspan. Already built well. A ball magnet of sorts that picked off eight passes as a freshman and broke up eight more as a sophomore despite missing some games due to injury. Has the ability to not only redirect wide receivers at the line of scrimmage, but also flip his hips and run with them. Does a good job of timing his breaks once in coverage, but often times relies too much on his length to make plays. Will need to get faster at the next level. Should develop into an impact player for a Power 5 program and eventually play on Sundays."

That type of talent can go a long way for Ohio State as head coach Ryan Day looks to continue contending for Big Ten and national titles.

Securing Singletary came one day after the Buckeyes upset Clemson 49-28 in the College Football Playoff semifinal, signaling that Ohio State remains one of the premier programs in college football.

With Singletary set to join the fray, Ohio State continues to replenish its roster and bring in some of the truly elite athletes in high school football.

Following his dominant performance Friday in Ohio State's 48-29 win over Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinal, quarterback Justin Fields divulged that he didn't receive a diagnosis for the injury he suffered during the game.

According to Erick Smith of USA Today, Fields said of the OSU team doctors: "They didn't really tell me anything. I took a shot or two and just ran back out there. But it's pretty much my whole right is sore, that's messed up. And a little, my hip. But they didn't really give me a diagnosis at all."

Fields suffered the injury during the second quarter when Clemson linebacker James Skalski hit him in the right side with the crown of his helmet.

Skalski was ejected for targeting:

James Skalski was called for targeting and ejected after this hit on Justin Fields. pic.twitter.com/0oqTQCTEDi

— ESPN (@espn) January 2, 2021

Despite the brutal nature of the hit, Fields finished the game and ended up completing 22-of-28 passes for 385 yards, six touchdowns and one interception.

Despite the injury, Fields turned in his best showing of the season in what was the biggest game of the season for the Buckeyes to this point.

An even bigger game looms, however, as Fields and the Buckeyes will face the undefeated No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on Jan. 11.

If Fields can lead the Buckeyes to an upset win over Alabama, it will result in Ohio State's first national title since the 2014 season.

Ohio State received no shortage of criticism entering the CFP since COVID-19 issues limited the team to just six games prior to Friday's contest. Some, including Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, expressed their belief that the Buckeyes didn't play enough games to earn a spot in the top four.

The CFP selection committee disagreed, and head coach Ryan Day's team rewarded them for their decision by knocking off a Clemson team that was favored to go all the way when the season began.

While there isn't yet a diagnosis for Fields' injury, it is difficult to envision it preventing Fields from playing in the biggest game of his college football career, especially after he gutted it out on New Year's Day.

Fields also has plenty to prove to NFL talent evaluators who have already locked in Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence as the No. 1 overall pick.

If Fields can fight through injury to put up big numbers in a win over Alabama just as he did over Clemson, perhaps he will create some level of controversy atop the 2021 NFL draft.

It hurt to watch. Every throw. Every grimace. Every time he reached for his injured right side. Every moment he gingerly positioned himself on the exercise bike in an attempt to stay loose. 

A helmet to the ribs. It looked as painful as it sounds, and that's precisely how Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields ended up on the Mercedes-Benz Superdome turf in agony on Friday.  

In the first half of the Sugar Bowl, a College Football Playoff Game that the Buckeyes were suddenly gaining control of, uncertainty filled the largely empty stadium.   

In that moment, as Fields struggled to catch his breath, his night, season and college career looked to be over. What happened next, as painful as it might have been to watch—and certainly far more painful for Fields to endure—is something the sport will remember and celebrate in the years to follow.  

That was not what the script had originally intended for this College Football Playoff game. This night was not supposed to be about Fields. This night was supposed to be about future No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence—another elite high school quarterback from the state of Georgia in the class of 2018. 

His last stand before heading to the NFL. The possibility of yet another Clemson-Alabama rematch after the Tide took care of business against Notre Dame earlier in the day in the other semifinal. Dabo Swinney, having ranked Ohio State No. 11 in his latest Coaches Poll, continuing onward in the tournament with a bull's-eye on his back.    

And then, discomfort be damned, there was Fields. In unfathomable pain, obviously limited, and still completely overwhelming.  

Ohio State, a touchdown underdog, throttled Clemson 49-28. The Buckeyes indeed got the revenge they were seeking after falling to the Tigers 29-23 in last year's Fiesta Bowl. In doing so, they racked up 639 yards of offense. They moved the ball with ease for most of the night, connecting on more than a handful of big plays. 

Fields was responsible for most of those. And although he played the majority of the game injured, he still accounted for 385 passing yards, 42 rushing yards and six touchdowns. 

He had as many incompletions as passing touchdowns. That's worth repeating: He had as many incompletions as passing touchdowns in a College Football Playoff game.  

He threw one interception that was tipped shortly after it left his hand. He missed a handful of throws. He wasn't perfect; he was close to it.  

His two deep touchdown passes in the second half were perfectly placed—throws that undoubtedly caught the attention of NFL scouts looking at this game and the junior's potential.  

After leaving the game for only one play following the hit the resulted in the ejection of Clemson linebacker James Skalski, Fields completed five of his next six throws for 60 yards and a touchdown.  

The rest of the game? He completed 11 of his 16 throws for 222 yards and four touchdowns.  

"That hit really took a toll on me," Fields said on the broadcast after the game. "My ribs were killing me pretty much all game. What pushed me through was the love for my brothers. I would do anything for these guys." 

For Ohio State, this was a night that almost never happened. The Buckeyes played only six games during the regular season, which culminated in a hard-fought win over Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship Game.

The lack of games, which was the result of COVID-19 cancellations, created an interesting discussion for the College Football Playoff committee. Despite the limited resume, Ohio State still was named the No. 3 seed. 

With Ohio State dominant at times and mortal in others, the Buckeyes' limited stumbles largely paralleled Fields' performance this year. For much of the season, he was exceptional. But down the stretch, headlined by his zero-touchdown, two-interception performance against the Wildcats, there were struggles. 

In that game, Fields injured his thumb. This was supposed to be the injury to watch against Clemson. As it turns out, this was nothing compared to what was coming.  

The euphoria of leading the Buckeyes to the national championship for the second time in the playoff era will likely morph to pain and questions about Fields' health status moving forward.

The task will not get any easier from here. Ohio State will play Alabama, the best team in college football, on January 11 in the national championship at Hard Rock Stadium. Fields will have more than a week to heal before facing one of the greatest offenses the sport has seen led by the greatest coach to ever pace a sideline.

Yes, there is work to be done. And yes, the next obstacle for the Buckeyes is even more daunting than the one it conquered in New Orleans. 

His progress will likely be the key storyline leading up to the game. Given his performance and what he meant to his team Friday night, it's not hard to see why.

Regardless of how Ohio State performs against Alabama, however, Fields' evening is one that will be talked about in Columbus for years to come. On the heels of one of the greatest quarterback performances in playoff history, college football will remember this night. 

We will remember the hit—the visual of a helmet crashing into Fields' ribs at full speed. We will remember his facial expressions in the moments that followed and the way the camera captured his every anguish as he searched for normalcy that never arrived. We will then remember what somehow happened next.  

The long touchdown throws. The way he, despite the limitations, took apart one of the best teams in college football. It was not the script we were expecting, but it was the one we were given. And although it was hard to watch, for those envisioning the pain and what it must have felt like, what a night it was.

Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields suffered an apparent ribs injury after taking a hit from Clemson linebacker James Skalski in the second quarter of his team's 49-28 Sugar Bowl win over the Tigers on Friday:

James Skalski was called for targeting and ejected after this hit on Justin Fields. pic.twitter.com/0oqTQCTEDi

— ESPN (@espn) January 2, 2021

Fields remained in the game after sitting out one play but told ESPN's Tom Rinaldi that he was in extreme pain afterward:

Justin Fields just now on @espn re: the hit he took from James Skalski: "My ribs were killing me the whole game. What pushed me through was my love for my brothers."

— Marc Whiteman (@MarcWYFFNews4) January 2, 2021

He added postgame:

Justin Fields: "After each and every throw, my ribs hurt." Said he tried not to focus on the pain during plays, only after.

— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) January 2, 2021

Fields threw a touchdown pass on his first play back and finished 22-of-28 for 385 yards, six touchdowns and one interception. He added 42 rushing yards on eight carries en route to guiding the Buckeyes to the College Football Playoff National Championship, where they will play No. 1 Alabama on Monday, Jan. 11.

It was an incredible performance from Fields, who had 13.8 passing yards per attempt. OSU led 35-14 at halftime thanks to his four first-half passing touchdowns, and the Buckeyes never led by fewer than 14 points after halftime.

Fields also launched two of his best passes after the injury, finding Chris Olave for a 56-yard score before hitting Jameson Williams on a 45-yard touchdown in the second half.

By game's end, Fields' six-touchdown performance was the seventh time that a quarterback has thrown for six scores in a bowl game, per ESPN Stats & Info.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day told reporters he's unsure how ready players who were forced to quarantine after having or being in close contact with another person who had COVID-19 will be for Friday's semifinal matchup with Clemson. 

"Full strength is a floating target right now," Day said Thursday. "Those guys who come off quarantine and isolation, they have a protocol to get back on the field. You don't just play football after not doing anything for nine or 10 days. All those guys we were missing for the last month are working their way back. We are getting a lot of guys back, but to say 100 percent, it's different. The good news is they're working their way back and getting stronger every day."

The Buckeyes were without 22 players for the Big Ten Championship Game against Northwestern, most notably receiver Chris Olave and linebacker Baron Browning. 

Clemson will be without offensive coordinator Tony Elliott, who tested positive for the virus Wednesday. The team will also be without two undisclosed players because of COVID-19 protocols. Because of the ACC's rules on testing, the Tigers' roster is set for the semifinal.

"It's a unique situation that we don't have the same protocols going into the game, but I'm not going to spend time thinking about that," Day said. "I'm tired of that. As long as the guys are healthy playing the game, that's what matters. We'll have PCR before we get on the plane and go from there. At the end of the day, the goal is to have a clean field, so we'll follow the protocol that's been set forth."

Ohio State still has to undergo two more rounds of testing to satisfy Big Ten protocols.

Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney has opened up about his controversial decision to vote Ohio State at No. 11 in the final Amway Coaches Poll released on Dec. 20. 

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Swinney said the ranking "has zero to do with Ohio State" and was about the difference in games played between teams this season. 

"I just don't think it's right that three teams have to play 13 games to be the champion and one team has to play eight," he said. 

Swinney also noted he "didn't rank anybody who played nine games or less in the Top 10," but the Buckeyes are certainly "good enough to beat us" and win a national championship.

Of the 61 coaches who voted in the final poll, eight didn't have Ohio State ranked in their top four. 

From that group of eight, six of them had the Buckeyes ranked No. 5 and the seventh had them ranked at No. 6. Swinney was the only person who voted them outside of the top 10. 

Ohio State's schedule became a talking point over the final two weeks of the regular season. Big Ten rules established before the season required teams to play at least six games to qualify for the conference title game. 

The Buckeyes had three games canceled due to COVID-19 issues, including their Dec. 12 game matchup with Michigan. The conference amended its minimum-games requirement rule, allowing Ohio State to play in the Big Ten Championship Game despite playing just five games. 

Ohio State defeated Northwestern 22-10 to win the conference title. The College Football Playoff selection committee ranked the Big Ten champs third in its final standings, pitting them against Clemson in a semifinal game on Jan. 1. 

The Tigers beat the Buckeyes in a College Football Playoff semifinal last year 29-23. 

Ohio State fans can breathe a sigh of relief because star quarterback Justin Fields will apparently be fine for the Buckeyes' College Football Playoff showdown with Clemson.

Head coach Ryan Day told reporters Sunday that Fields "will be fine" after he suffered a thumb injury during Saturday's win over Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship Game. 

Fields said he believed he sprained his thumb during the 22-10 victory:

Hear from @justnfields on his thumb injury and Trey Sermon's performance after @OhioStateFB's Big Ten Championship Game win ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/zPvJcAKxRU

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 19, 2020

The Fox broadcast showed the Ohio State medical staff wrapping the thumb on his throwing hand during the game. He also grimaced while grabbing the area in the second half and did not appear to be his typical dominant self as the game unfolded.

The Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year was just 12-of-27 for 114 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions while taking three sacks as Ohio State's offense struggled to gain traction against a stout Northwestern defense for much of the contest.

With Fields struggling and star wide receiver Chris Olave sidelined, the Buckeyes turned to running back Trey Sermon.

The Oklahoma transfer rescued the four-time defending Big Ten champions with the most Ohio State rushing yards in a game (331) and two touchdowns. It was an all-time performance in a pressure-packed spot and helped Ohio State clinch its CFP spot.

While the emergence of Sermon was key and should help the Scarlet and Gray against the Tigers, it is difficult to envision them winning without a healthy Fields. The quarterback was a Heisman Trophy finalist last year and is widely expected to be an early draft pick with the ability to hurt opposing defenses with his arm and legs. 

Ohio State lost to Clemson 29-23 in the CFP last season in a game that was marred by questionable officiating, and Fields will need to play well if his side is going to enact some revenge this time.