Ohio State football: The true impact of losing Justin Fields

The Ohio State football team is losing one of the best quarterbacks in program history. Here’s the true impact of losing someone of Justin Fields’ caliber.

Justin Fields did great things during his team with the Ohio State football program. His accomplishments were numerous and he was the driving force behind the players’ voice in the Big Ten to get a season played in 2020. Quite simply, he was extraordinary in both years with the Buckeyes.

What does it mean for the Buckeyes to lose a player like Fields? Of course, the on-the-field stuff is obvious. You lose a Heisman finalist, the Big Ten Player of the Year, and someone who was a true dual-threat. There wasn’t any team that could truly stop him.

As far as that is concerned, that will certainly slip a bit in 2021. No matter who the quarterback ends up being, they can’t possibly play up to Fields’ level as a first-year starter. But they don’t have to with how good the roster is on offense around them.

The intangibles are where things might be more noticeable. Fields was the undisputed leader of this team. He kept everyone calm and kept everyone motivated. He was able to be the voice of the team when they needed one. None of the current quarterbacks have those level of skills yet.

Leadership from players like Chris Olave and Thayer Munford will probably help mitigate that too. They are both players who have been around the program for a long time. They can help show the new quarterback how to command the locker room the way he needs to.

It’s never ideal to lose someone of Fields’ talent. But I think that Ohio State should be able to withstand his loss this season to still be true contenders to win it all.