Ohio State Quarterback Justin Fields did not know the condition of his rib injury after Friday night’s victory over Clemson.
Your bones may be damaged or bruised. But in fact they didn’t stop him after receiving an injection to get him back into the game and lead the Buckeyes to a 49-28 victory in the Sugar Bowl national semifinals.
“They didn’t tell me anything, ” said Fields about his injury. “I took like a shot or two in the (medical) store and ran home. But I mean, it’s almost all my right torso that’s messed up, a little bit of my hip. “
Fields finished 22 of 28 passes for 385 yards and six landing passes, a Sugar Bowl record, adding 4 after suffering a heavy blow to the right side of his overdue torso in the last quarter at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
The movement came thanks to Clemson’s supporter, James Skalski, who was expelled just after pointing fields at his helmet. Fields had to temporarily leave the game because of that and made a grimace of pain for the rest of the night.
Still, he landed bomb after bomb to blow up the No Tigers. 2 (10-2), much to the chagrin of Clemson’s coach, Dabo Swinney, who had qualified the Buckeyes on his last ballot on the Amway coaching ballot.
The No. 3 Buckeyes (7-0) are now heading to national championship game No. 1 alabama on January 11.
After Fields’ injury, the clock stopped at 5:57 for playing in the first half and the Buckeyes led 21-14, left the game for a play, returned and temporarily fired an indirect pass to catcher Chris Olave for a 9-touchdown of the yard, helping Ohio State at 28-14 with 5:12 to play.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day series “a blur”.
“There was a moment when he got out of the injury, came back and then threw the landing pass,” Day later said. “I said, ‘Can you throw?’ He said, “I think I can. I said, “Well, here we are. We gotta go. You have to give me some information. “He said, “I think I can do it. And he throws a frozen rope there, and stays off the field. “
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Fields, a transfer from Georgia, later said his injury would “damage every single time he threw the ball. “
“So I wouldn’t really worry about the game and just handle the pain after launch,” he said.
In his pitches, he said he didn’t feel the pain. After the pitches, he said yes, no matter how long or long. Two of his landing passes in the second half totaled 56. 45 yards.
“He couldn’t do everything, but what a brave actor, ” said Day. “How tough and special a young man Justin Fields is. “
Swinney said he didn’t believe Skalski’s move to Fields was intentional.
“He’s just looking to make a football game, and that’s unfortunate,” Swinney said.
Swinney defended his previous poll this week, saying, “I just don’t think it’s fair that three groups have to play thirteen games to be the champion and a team has to play eight. “
After Friday’s game, he did not settle for the concept that his low Ohio State rating served as a motivation for the Buckeyes.
“I don’t regret any of this, ” he said. And polls have nothing to do with motivation. They were both very motivated to play. “
After starting the season later than Clemson due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the shorter duration of the Buckeyes’ one-season patron has created some mystery about his effectiveness. Fields also twisted his thumb from his right hand in the ultimate game, which led him to start this game with a white tablet.
None of this mattered in the end. Not the thumb Not the short season. Not even the ribs.
With the victory, Ohio State won last year’s 29-23 loss to Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl national semifinals and won its first PSC match since 2015, when it won the national title.
“We have some other game to play,” Day said. ” This isn’t over yet. But I think it was vital for us. It was a program for us to win a PSC match, especially after what happened last year. And betting, as we did, means a lot to our program.
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