My 10 favorite moments from Ohio State’s 2020 season
You had a feeling the title game was slipping away, that Ohio State was just hanging on. The Buckeyes had lost Tommy Togiai, Tyreke Smith and Trey Sermon, and Alabama was on a rampage.
Down 14-7 in the second quarter, Ohio State had given the ball back to the Tide, and things looked bleak.
Then Barrett Browning hit Mac Jones, forced a fumble, and recovered it. It led to an Ohio State score that tied the game. At the time, you really thought maybe the Buckeyes could hang in the championship.
There was still hope. And it was one of my favorite parts of the Ohio State season.
All in all, it was still a lot of fun for Buckeyes fans. Here’s my 10 favorite Buckeyes moments:
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TEN: The season actually began. Kudos to Justin Fields for speaking out. Wyatt Davis and Shaun Wade then decided to come back. Officially, the season was on, and Ohio State aimed for the title.
NINE: Jaxon Smith-Njigba made a miracle catch against Nebraska. It may have been the catch of the year in the first game of the season.
WHAT A TOE TAP BY @jaxon_smith1 😱
The @OhioStateFB Freshman WR comes up with a big TD for the Buckeyes! pic.twitter.com/2pnGD86fVR
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 24, 2020
EIGHT: The Buckeyes went into Penn State, and with 3 sacks from Tommy Togiai, stomped the Nittany Lions, 38-25.
SEVEN: The Barrett Browning forced fumble of Mac Jones. See above.
MAC JONES FUMBLES IT 👀 pic.twitter.com/ZkW3T5eHwi
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 12, 2021
SIX: Haskell Garrett, who was just two months removed from being shot in the face, tipped a pass in the end zone, intercepted the pass and scored a touchdown against Michigan State — and he did it in front of Larry Johnson, who was coach for a day when Ryan Day was sick. It was amazing.
What a play by Haskell Garrett to tip this pass and then track it and catch it for a TD. Big man has awareness and hands. pic.twitter.com/arjxrd5qKg
— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) December 5, 2020
FIVE: 5-star quarterback Quinn Ewers commits, flipping from Texas, and becomes the highest-rated recruit to come to Ohio State in Buckeyes history. That’s a big deal.
FOUR: Shaun Wade’s first career pick-six clinches the victory over IU and keeps championship hopes alive.
BIG TIME PLAYERS MAKE BIG TIME PLAYS!@shaunwade24 gets the pick-six for @OhioStateFB 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/pt2N5WSq3h
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 21, 2020
THREE: It’s another B1G championship, with an explosive performance by Justin Hilliard. His interception in the end zone kept the Buckeyes in front.
Justin Hilliard highlights vs Northwestern are live because I love you all https://t.co/NenF7BQ1EX
— Colton Denning (@Dubsco) December 20, 2020
TWO: Trey Sermon becomes a legend. If only his career wasn’t cut short in the title game. It would have been interesting to see if he could’ve run on Alabama, too. Maybe he decides to come back and try again?
That's a @bigten Championship Game record for @OhioStateFB RB @treyera 🔥
He breaks the conference record for rushing yards in a Championship Game set by @EzekielElliott in 2014 pic.twitter.com/XEB9nym6p3
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 19, 2020
ONE: In one of the great performances in Ohio State history, the Buckeyes rout Clemson, avenging their Playoff loss from the previous year. Fields played amazing, as did Sermon and several players on the defense.
It will be the lasting memory of a truly fantastic season.