All season long we’ve heard about the “once in a lifetime, generational talent” named Trevor Lawrence. The Clemson junior has already solidified his place in Tigers’ lore, leading the team to two national championship appearances and one title as a true freshman in 2018.
This season, most predicted him heading to his third consecutive title game, and all anointed him the number one overall draft pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. But after the first round of College Football Playoffs, only two things are guaranteed- Lawrence will be a Jacksonville Jaguar (sorry Jets fans), and his title game appearances will end at three as the Tigers were demolished by the Ohio State Buckeyes, 49-28.
While Lawrence had a great game, throwing for 400 yards with 2 TDs and 1 INT, his fellow Georgian and Ohio State QB counterpart, Justin Fields, stole the show and reminded those who doubted his talents not to sleep on him.
Fields, the Buckeyes’ junior quarterback, outscored the Tigers by himself, throwing for 385 yards with 6 TDs and 1 INT, an amazing performance especially when you consider that he did it on 20 fewer throwing attempts than Lawrence (28-48, respectively).
Fields absolutely showed out last night, not only avenging the team’s three previous College Football Playoffs losses to Clemson but also putting the NFL on notice that he should remain at the top of the draft board. Whether it was because Clemson coach Dabo Sweney ranked Ohio State eleventh in the final regular-season coaches poll, critics saying that Ohio State hadn’t played enough games to be considered for the CFP or ESPN’s Todd McShay pushing him down on draft boards by taking him from second to ninth, Fields obviously had lots of motivation to show and prove in the Sugar Bowl. Even after getting speared in the back and being pulled from the game for testing and treatment, Fields refused to quit, returning to the field in pain and throwing four more TDs in the Buckeye blowout.
”Everybody doubting us just pushed us a little more,” said Fields.
Fields now has one more game to show the world that he’s worthy of the second pick in this year’s draft, and a dominating performance against the all-mighty Alabama Crimson Tide will probably solidify that belief. But for one night, Fields’ performance will give Jags management pause in their draft selection process. And while it’s probably only for one night, Jets fans have to be smiling as Fields has restored some draft day hope that their late-season “winning streak” crushed.
