A Jersey Guy: OSU's Fields of Dreams
Justin Fields was in scramble mode.
Again.
The Ohio State quarterback was taking care of his final media obligations before Monday's CFP national championship game against No. 1 ranked Alabama in Miami.
Ohio State, rather than Clemson, is in the game because Fields had a career game against the Tigers--six touchdown passes for 385 yards in a surprisingly easy 49-28 victory.
It was a performance which thrust the Buckeyes into their first national championship game since 2015.
It was an effort which many people expected would be the norm for the Buckeyes, who were a pre-season No. 1 choice in many publications, with Fields on a short list of front-runners to win the Heisman Trophy.
That didn't happen because COVID-19 created havoc with the Big Ten schedule and Fields never did get into a high performance rhythm.
Oh, the Buckeyes did what they had to do--won all of their games, but there were only 5 of them because of COVID-issues.
Fields had a decent year (21 TD passes,6 interceptions) but it was also filled with inconsistencies which didn't even get the 6-foot-3 inch, 228 pound junior a spot in the Top 5 in the Heisman voting.
Fields, who had began his collegiate career at Georgia before transferring to OSU last season, was also dropping rapidly in the NFL draft lottery.
The effort against Clemson changed that.
But it came with an asterisk attached. Midway through the first half against Clemson, Fields took a helmet shot to the ribs which literally knocked the breath out of him and forced him--temporarily to the sidelines.
Fields received M*A*S*H treatment from the OSU medical staff and finished the game with a flourish.
The ongoing questions which has been asked all week in Columbus and beyond is, "How was Justin Fields' feeling?" and "Would he be able to play against Alabama?"
Fields and OSU have scrambled effectively all week.
"I'll be good on Monday night,'' said Fields in his one media appearance on Thursday.
"You don't think you will be affected?'' was the follow up question.
"I'll be good on Monday night,'' repeated Fields.
Fields and OSU officials confirm that he received a pair of pain killing shots during the Clemson game which allowed him to finish the game, relatively pain free--or at least it appeared that way for anyone who noticed the grimace with each movement on the sidelines in the first half that disappeared in the second half.
Let's get this one thing clear.
OSU, which is an 8-point underdog to Alabama, can beat the Tide on Monday night if Fields turns in a solid performance, but they have NO chance if he is limited in what he can do on the field or does not play.
Fields reiterated that he had total confidence in the OSU medical staff and their treatment.
He also said that he woke up on Saturday morning not feeling as bad as he thought he might.
"I definitely woke up better than expected,'' said Fields. "But I didn't expect to wake up kind of hurting two and three nights after the game.
"I mean I really haven't thought about how this injury is going to affect how I'm going to play. I'm just thinking about getting as much treatment as possible and getting my body right so it's 100 percent to be able to perform at max level on Monday night.''
Fields' college career has come full circle.
He came to Georgia in 2018 as a five-star recruit, but found himself on the depth chart behind sophomore Jake Fromm, who had taken the Bulldogs to the SEC title, the Rose Bowl and came up a few plays short of winning a national championship as a freshman in a game against Alabama in which Fields made a brief appearance.
He could have stayed at Georgia and battled for the job, but he chose to jump to Ohio State which had an easier path to a starting position.
Field unquestionably has been a star with the Buckeyes. He could very well be a star in the NFL.
In many ways, his career has been folded into one 10-day sequence which began in the Sugar Bowl against Clemson on January 1 and will play out in the final game of a truly historic season on Monday night.
Whether Fields is healthy enough to meet the challenge remains a mystery, but he makes perfectly clear that he will be ready to play.