Top 10 Plays Of The Ohio State Football Season: No. 6 – Ryan Day Uses Misdirection As An Art Form
This story is the fifth of 10 that comes from the print edition of Buckeye Sports Bulletin, where the staff selected the 10 best plays from the 2020 football season.
Ohio State’s 49-28 win over Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinal is the clear highlight game of the season, and there were plenty of moments within that important victory that stand out.
One of those was this touchdown connection that may have been the play call of the season. With the teams tied 14-14 and the Buckeyes forcing the first Clemson punt of the game, Ohio State had an opportunity to
take its first lead of the contest.
Starting at the Ohio State 16, quarterback Justin Fields led a terrific drive all the way down to the Clemson 17 before the true artwork began.
On second-and-8, Fields rolled left, the offensive line perfectly blocked the rush, and then Fields looked back right to a wide-open tight end in Jeremy Ruckert, who made his way to the end zone for the score.
This touchdown led to two more before the teams hit halftime, and Ohio State never trailed again. The use of the tight ends in the offense might be the butt end of a joke at this point, but Ruckert and fifth-year senior Luke Farrell combined for five receptions, 66 yards and three touchdowns in Ohio State’s most pivotal win of the season, proving the position’s worth as a receiving threat when it matters most.
“I think, throughout the year, I’ve missed the tight ends a lot on a lot of plays,” Fields said. “It was pretty much just going back to the basics and seeing the plays that they were open on and kind of utilizing those guys. Those are two of the best tight ends in the country, and I’m just glad we finally got to use them.”
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