C.J. Stroud, Ohio State Left to Wonder What Could’ve Been After Heartbreaking Loss

ATLANTA—C.J. Stroud has endured more difficult days than this one.

After all, this is only a sport. There is life outside of the arena. Stroud knows that more than most—a childhood rocked by the incarceration of his father that led to financial struggles in his family and a late-blooming career.

And yet, in this moment, after he carved through one of the country’s best defenses, after he set up his team for a rousing upset, after he positioned Ohio State for a trip to the national championship game, his football dream was shattered.

Noah Ruggles’s 50-yard field goal attempt hooked low and left of the goal posts to give the Georgia Bulldogs a 42-41 victory over Stroud and his Buckeyes in Saturday’s Peach Bowl—a frantic finish to one of the most thrilling CFP games in the nine-year history of the event.

If Ruggles’s kick had split the uprights, if the Buckeyes’ defense didn’t fold down the stretch, Stroud would have been the MVP. He would have been a hero who somehow managed to slice through coach Kirby Smart and co-defensive coordinator Will Muschamp’s defense for 348 passing yards, four touchdowns and several sack-escaping scampers.

Noah Ruggles missed a last-second field goal that would have given Ohio State a win over Georgia in the CFP national semifinals.

John Bazemore/AP

Instead, he is on the losing end of one of the more memorable playoff games in college or the NFL, and it’ll likely be his last outing in Scarlet and Gray.

Emotional and downtrodden in the postgame news conference, a red-eyed Stroud interjected to defend Ohio State coach Ryan Day multiple times, a clear and obvious attempt to quell the murmuring over Day’s ability despite his overall record (45–6).

“We kept swinging, like our [program’s] culture,” Stroud said. “I wouldn’t want to play for anybody else.”

Asked about his successful game plan against Georgia, Day said, “They’re all good plays when you have good players.”

And then Stroud interrupted.

“I’ll be his guy,” he said. “Great game plan. Without the right play [calls], you cannot make plays.”

Ohio State (11-2) also held leads of 21-7 in the second quarter and 38-24 late in the third quarter. Stroud and Co. seemed destined to knock off the SEC’s best, positioned perfectly to oust the defending champs.

And then it all unraveled quickly, with the Buckeyes’ secondary folding at the most important moments with three significant blunders:

• Safety Lathan Ransom got twisted around and slipped while on coverage of Georgia receiver Arian Smith, who was then left wide open for a 76-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

• On the next series, Ronnie Hickman and Tanner McCalister couldn’t stay close enough to Georgia receiver Kearis Jackson, who split the defensive backs for a 35-yard reception to put the Bulldogs inside the red zone.

• The dagger came on the same series a few plays later, when cornerback Denzel Burke succumbed to an inside move from Adonai Mitchell. The receiver was left open for the eventual game-winning dart delivered by Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett.

“We did give up some explosive plays again,” Day said. “We did and it was something that we spent a lot of time talking about—avoiding the big play. I think the difference was in this game, it didn't demoralize us. We kept swinging and fighting and we just kept going at it. But yeah, I mean call it for what it is, you know—if we're going to win these games, we can't give up those big explosive plays.”

First-year defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and his unit gave up a whopping 14 plays of 15 yards or more, including four plays of at least 35 yards. Georgia had almost half of its total yardage (210) on those four plays, an all-too-familiar refrain for the Buckeyes. In four CFP losses, Ohio State’s defense has been its bugaboo. The Buckeyes have given up 31 points (Clemson in 2016), 29 points (Clemson in ’19) and 52 points (Alabama in ’20) before Saturday night’s 42 points.

“Definitely some plays we can execute better,” Ohio State defensive end Zach Harrison says. “We could have been in a better position.”

Stroud completed 23 of 34 passes for 348 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in the Peach Bowl.

Brynn Anderson/AP

There were plays of significance that cost the Buckeyes. In the second quarter, Ohio State tight end Mitch Rossi was flagged for illegal motion on a play in which Stroud converted a fourth down. Then, in the fourth quarter, they appeared to convert a fake punt before Smart called timeout just before the snap. Instead of continuing drives, both of those plays ended in punts. Georgia scored on both ensuing drives.

The defensive lapses and the crushing loss shattered what could have been, including a trip back home for the Buckeyes’ star quarterback. The title game between Georgia and TCU will be held at SoFi Stadium. Stroud is a Los Angeles-area native.

He was splendid against Georgia, slinging the ball deep, firing mid-range darts and using his feet to pick up critical yardage. Over the final few minutes, Stroud did it without his top target. Marvin Harrison Jr., who had five catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns, was knocked out of the game in the fourth quarter after a hit to the head.

But Stroud used his legs again to put the Buckeyes in position for the winning field goal. Down one with about 30 seconds left, he raced 27 yards on a meandering, tackle-dodging run to the Georgia 31-yard line. Then, in a three-play sequence that’ll be sorely remembered in Columbus for years, the Buckeyes lost a yard on a first-down run and Stroud threw incomplete passes on second and third downs.

“I wouldn't change that call,” Day said when asked about the first-down run.

Interjected Stroud: “Good call. Great call!”

“There were a lot of plays in the game that you wish you had back as coaches and players,” Day said. “But I told the guys that I'm proud of the way they competed.”

No one could argue that assessment with Stroud, who answered his critics on the biggest stage with a performance for the ages.

“I tried to leave it all on the line,” Stroud said. “Games like this, you’re at a loss for words.”