Spectacular Uncertainty: Justin Fields needed one quarter to show his comfort with Ohio State

I respectfully decline to answer the question upon the grounds that the answer may tend to incriminate me. 

I plead the fifth when it comes to the Justin Fields experience at Ohio State. 

His transfer to the Buckeyes culminated Saturday with the 45-21 victory over Florida Atlantic at the Shoe. Saturday provided no clarity as to how it will end. Hell, I have no idea how it started. 

Raw numbers say that Ryan Day offered Fields exclusive ownership rights to the first quarter of the first game of the 2019 season when Fields decided where to spend his sophomore year of college. 

Saturday was not a Fields Day (I’ll show myself out), but a Fields quarter that put the Georgia transfer’s skills on display. Through fifteen minutes of football against Florida Atlantic, Fields accounted for 115 passing yards, 54 rushing yards, and four total touchdowns. Some of us hem and haw over what condiments to dip our french fries in that amount of time. Fields had himself a day in a quarter. 

People noticed, people pay attention to big numbers when they crawl across the bottom line. Really, they’ll pay any attention to minor diversions that distract them from the task at hand. Look, a Norton Security pop up! The buzz hit in the early Saturday games. 

Time to tell Andre Ware and Gino Toretta to clear out the top bunk and account for another possible set of food allergies, the Heisman House has a new occupant, 11 games pending. The Owls would see to that Fields got to break all the bubble wrap he wanted in pursuit of a good time in his new digs as the defense allowed for quite the welcome home party. 

Crash investigators could use dental records of Florida Atlantic’s linebackers to match the bite-marks on the Ohio Stadium yard lines in the group’s pursuit of J.K. Dobbins on an RPO while Fields cruised untouched to a 51-yard touchdown run. His three touchdown passes were to receivers with enough green space to qualify for a tax break under the previous federal administration. Fields took advantage of what the defense gave him. We just don’t know any more from when he first transferred.  

Fields had enough time to get set in the pocket and let plays develop to make the right decision. His numbers from the day reflected an overmatched and at times confused defense that resulted in big scoring plays for the Buckeyes. When the sedative began to wear off in the second quarter and the Owls recalibrated a defense on the fritz by allowing the secondary to trail Ohio State’s receivers past 11 yards, scores were more difficult. Fields took some bad sacks in the second quarter, a product of trying to do too much when the lead he helped build was already up to 28, but he seemed comfortable throughout the game. 

I feel comfortable calling Fields comfortable. See, the first step in the evaluation process. Progress. 

“Comfortable” stinks as a descriptor and fails to strike up the enthusiasm in a fan base who spent part of the game tsk-tsking Gus Johnson for his taste in marching bands. “Comfortable” after 45 points seems conservative, but how else do you describe an electric first quarter followed by competence in the remainder of the game? 

Fields threw the ball 16 times in the remaining three quarters, after nine attempts in the first. He didn’t turn it over and seemed comfortable taking what the defense put in front of him.

He was good, his numbers tell us he was great. Too much too soon sparked immediate enthusiasm by a collective “fine,” to describe the rest of his game. Blame the cushion of the first quarter for diminishing the rest of the story. By this time next week, that fruitless Ad Libs word bank to describe the Ohio State quarterback will have a few more selections available. Cincinnati will tell us whether Fields can handle the sort of pressure he’ll more likely encounter in Big Ten play. 

Last season the Bearcats were in the top 20 nationally for both havoc rate and front seven havoc rate, stats that take into account tackles for a loss, passes broken up and interceptions, and forced fumbles.How he responds to what Cincinnati does will be more telling than anything we saw this week. 

I’ll be more than glad to answer any questions under oath at that time. Until next week Buckeyes fans should be comfortable with the new starting quarterback.