Ohio State Football: Sermon and Hilliard saved the Buckeyes’ season
The Ohio State football team won a slugfest of a game in the Big Ten Championship yesterday. Trey Sermon and Justin Hilliard were outstanding.
This was not how the Ohio State football team head coach Ryan Day drew it up. After announcing that multiple players, including key players in receiver Chris Olave and linebacker Baron Browning, were out due to Covid-19 protocols, this game was a dog fight.
Down 10-6 in the third quarter, the Buckeyes were able to string together 16 unanswered points to beat Northwestern 22-10. But it was two unlikely heroes that were able to make that possible for the Scarlet and Gray.
Ryan Day finally decided late in the second half that handing the ball to Trey Sermon was his team’s best bet. And wow, Sermon didn’t let him down.
The senior-transfer running back had the game of his life. Showing great vision in hitting the holes that the offensive line paved for him, Sermon was able to exploit what the Wildcats were giving and then some.
An Ohio State single-game rushing record 331 yards rushing and two touchdowns, including 271 of those yards in the second half. What a performance. Master Teague, the starting tailback went down according to Ryan Day after the game making all of this possible for Sermon.
On the other side of the ball, it was sixth-year senior linebacker Justin Hilliard who started in place of Baron Browing. And the linebacker unit didn’t miss a step. Finishing with a career-high nine tackles, one fumble recovery, and a key interception in the end zone that stopped a Northwestern drive dead in its tracks.
Hilliard embodies exactly what it means to be an Ohio State Buckeye. Persevering throughout his six-year career with multiple injuries and setbacks, no other player represents what the Buckeyes have had to go through during this challenging season more than Hilliard.
It’s only fitting that he had the game of his life when Ohio State needed it most.
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The Buckeye season was in doubt yesterday. Northwestern had a great defensive game plan and came out ready to play. But Sermon and Hilliard wouldn’t let Ohio State lose yesterday. Two unlikely heroes saved the season for the Buckeyes.