Gerald Herbert/Associated Press
It ache to understand. Every throw. Every grimace. Every time he reached for his injured correct facet. Every moment he gingerly positioned himself on the exercise bike in an strive to defend loose.
A helmet to the ribs. It regarded as painful as it sounds, and that is the reason exactly how Ohio Exclaim quarterback Justin Fields ended up on the Mercedes-Benz Superdome turf in agony on Friday.
Within the predominant half of of the Sugar Bowl, a College Football Playoff Game that the Buckeyes maintain been all steady away gaining management of, uncertainty crammed the largely empty stadium.
In that moment, as Fields struggled to resolve his breath, his night, season and college profession regarded to be over. What took dwelling next, as painful as it might per chance per chance also merely need been to understand—and positively a ways more painful for Fields to suffer—is something the game will endure in tips and maintain a fair correct time in the years to utilize.
That became once no longer what the script had on the foundation supposed for this College Football Playoff game. This night became once no longer supposed to be about Fields. This night became once supposed to be about future No. 1 general take dangle of Trevor Lawrence—one other elite excessive school quarterback from the express of Georgia in the class of 2018.
His closing stand earlier than heading to the NFL. The probability of but one other Clemson-Alabama rematch after the Tide took care of enterprise against Notre Dame earlier in the day in the opposite semifinal. Dabo Swinney, having ranked Ohio Exclaim No. 11 in his most up-to-date Coaches Ballot, persevering with onward in the tournament with a bull’s-note on his abet.
After which, discomfort be damned, there became once Fields. In unfathomable ache, obviously runt, and soundless entirely overwhelming.
Butch Dill/Associated Press
Ohio Exclaim, a touchdown underdog, throttled Clemson 49-28. The Buckeyes certainly got the revenge they maintain been attempting for after falling to the Tigers 29-23 in closing 300 and sixty five days’s Fiesta Bowl. In doing so, they racked up 639 yards of offense. They moved the ball with ease for a ramification of of the night, connecting on bigger than a handful of enormous plays.
Fields became once to blame for a ramification of of those. And though he played the large majority of the game injured, he soundless 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 became once tipped quickly after it left his hand. He passed over a handful of throws. He wasn’t ultimate; he became once conclude to it.
His two deep touchdown passes in the 2nd half of maintain been perfectly placed—throws that indubitably caught the dignity of NFL scouts this game and the junior’s seemingly.
After leaving the game for a ramification of efficient one play following the hit the resulted in the ejection of Clemson linebacker James Skalski, Fields performed 5 of his next six throws for 60 yards and a touchdown.
The rest of the game? He performed 11 of his 16 throws for 222 yards and four touchdowns.
“That hit in actual fact took a toll on me,” Fields said on the broadcast after the game. “My ribs maintain been killing me beautiful noteworthy all game. What pushed me thru became once the luxuriate in for my brothers. I might per chance well create something for these guys.”
Gerald Herbert/Associated Press
For Ohio Exclaim, this became once a night that nearly about by no plot took dwelling. The Buckeyes played most efficient six video games for the length of the novel season, which culminated in a onerous-fought defend over Northwestern in the Tremendous Ten Championship Game.
The scarcity of video games, which became once the of COVID-19 cancellations, created a inspiring discussion for the College Football Playoff committee. Despite the runt resume, Ohio Exclaim soundless became once named the No. 3 seed.
With Ohio Exclaim dominant now and again and mortal in others, the Buckeyes’ runt stumbles largely paralleled Fields’ efficiency this 300 and sixty five days. For noteworthy of the season, he became once unheard of. But down the stretch, headlined by his zero-touchdown, two-interception efficiency against the Wildcats, there maintain been struggles.
In that game, Fields injured his thumb. This became once supposed to be the damage to understand against Clemson. As it turns out, this became once nothing in contrast with what became once coming.
The euphoria of main the Buckeyes to the nationwide championship for the 2nd time in the playoff generation will seemingly morph to ache and questions about Fields’ health dwelling consuming forward.
The job will no longer gain any more uncomplicated from here. Ohio Exclaim will play Alabama, the very best personnel in college soccer, on January 11 in the nationwide championship at Laborious Rock Stadium. Fields can maintain bigger than a week to heal earlier than dealing with one in every of the very best offenses the game has viewed led by the very best coach to ever tempo a sideline.
Certain, there’s work to be done. And yes, the next obstacle for the Buckeyes is even more daunting than the one it conquered in Fresh Orleans.
His growth is continuously the predominant storyline main up to the game. Given his efficiency and what he supposed to his personnel Friday night, or no longer it is no longer onerous to understand why.
Despite how Ohio Exclaim performs against Alabama, nonetheless, Fields’ evening is one which shall be talked about in Columbus for years to return. On the heels of 1 in all the very best quarterback performances in playoff historical previous, college soccer will endure in tips this night.
We can endure in tips the hit—the visual of a helmet crashing into Fields’ ribs at stout tempo. We can endure in tips his facial expressions in the moments that adopted and the manner the digicam captured his every trouble as he hunted for normalcy that by no plot arrived. We can then endure in tips what one plot or the opposite took dwelling next.
The lengthy touchdown throws. The style he, despite the boundaries, took aside one in every of the very best teams in college soccer. It became once no longer the script we maintain been expecting, but it became once the one we maintain been given. And though it became once onerous to understand, for those envisioning the ache and what it should always maintain felt like, what a night it became once.
