Ohio State Marches On To National Championship Game Behind Fields

COLUMBUS, OH – Moments after Justin Fields had led Ohio State to an upset victory over No. 2-ranked Clemson in the Sugar Bowl Friday night, the quarterback was asked about how much fuel Clemson coach Dabo Sweeney may have provided the Buckeyes by inferring that they didn’t belong in the College Football Playoff.

Fields, fresh off a six-touchdown effort that propelled Ohio State into the national championship game against Alabama with a convincing 49-28 victory over the Tigers, politely declined to address Sweeney’s choice to rank the Buckeyes No. 11 on his ballot in the coach’s poll and instead savored a win that will go down among the biggest in program history.

Fields allowed his play on the field to do the talking, turning in what will go down as one of the most memorable performances by a quarterback in Ohio State football history. His 385 passing yards and six scoring passes spoke volumes as the Buckeyes – who entered national semifinal as a decided underdog – and found redemption from last season’s loss to Clemson and advanced onto college football’s biggest stage on Jan. 11 against the top-ranked Crimson Tide.

Again, Ohio State will enter the title tilt as an underdog. But as the Buckeyes showed in dominating fashion Friday night against Clemson, they won’t allow anyone – or anything – get in the way of chasing after their championship dreams.

“This is a feeling like no other,” Fields told reporters after the victory, which he fueled despite taking a vicious hit early on that left him bruised and sore for the remainder of the night. “I know my body’s going to be hurting (Saturday) morning, but it’s worth it for this win and for my teammates. That’s really what pushed me.”

The Buckeyes, who spent the offseason training with reminder of last year’s season-ending 29-23 loss to Clemson plastered in plain sight, turned in their most complete effort of the season. Despite coming in with only six games under their belt due to coronavirus-related cancelations against Maryland, Illinois and Michigan, the Buckeyes kept rolling on offense throughout the night.

Running back Trey Sermon ran for 193 yards as Ohio State piled up both points and yards in bunches sparked by Fields, who engineered the dominating win that not only kept the Buckeyes’ national championship hopes alive, but also vanquished any bad taste that may have been left in Ryan Day’s team’s mouth after last season’s College Football Playoff loss to to the Tigers.

“Because of the way it all played out, because it was Clemson, just like we played them last year, I think that had a lot of added flavor to it,” Day told reporters. “And a lot of guys left that field feeling like they let one get away. In life you don’t typically get an opportunity to get a second chance, but you can’t miss the second time.”

The Buckeyes certainly made the most of their chance Friday night, but will now get an even bigger shot at Alabama on Jan. 11 in Miami Gardens, Fla. – this time with an even grander prize on the line. And as much as Fields relished Friday night's victory and any motivation that Sweeney may have provided along the way – the star quarterback whose name many pundits are using in the same breath as Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence – as the prime candidate as the No. 1 draft pick in the 2021 NFL Draft – will again take on a lead role in helping the Buckeyes take the next step forward.

“He had an edge to him,” Day said of Fields' play in the national semifinal victory. “I mean, this is a competitive guy that’s had a lot of success. So to come off of that game, not playing his great game, that doesn’t sit well with him. He doesn’t like hearing people talk ill will about him. It didn’t sit well with him at all. He had an edge to him all week. That’s what great competitors do. So really cool to see.”