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- Thread starter MD Buckeye
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
His special team play (i.e. the kickoff and punt teams) could help his chances too.
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calibuck
Too soon old, too late smart
Great to see all the pain and suffering and rehab paying off for Justin. Thought he'd quite several times, glad I was in error. We have seen several/many of these seniors who have finally 'gotten it', or 'clicked' or 'got healthy' in their final year that have played some great ball for tOSU. Put me in the camp that says we probably don't win that game without his outstanding play. On to the Nati. Frankly I don't care who we play, we'll either win or not. See it this way: Bama -#1; Clemson -#2; tOSU - #3; Notre Dame - #4. Maybe A&M gets in at four, but that's for the committee to decide. In which case, they'll finagle it so tOSU plays Bama......go Bucks!
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
HILLIARD ANSWERS THE BELL IN SIXTH-YEAR BREAKTHROUGH TO PROPEL OHIO STATE TO BIG TEN TITLE
The best, most impactful player on Ohio State’s Big Ten championship-winning defense on Saturday was a sixth-year senior.
A former five-star recruit whose college football career continues as he steadfastly remains chasing his NFL dreams despite suffering a multitude of injuries that have ended playing careers, including a torn Achilles and torn biceps in both arms. A backup linebacker who sat out the first game with an injury, missed the second one due to a false positive and only got the start against Northwestern because Baron Browning was deemed unavailable. A veteran who graduated from the university last weekend making his first start of the season with his position coach missing due to a positive coronavirus test.
That guy.
Trey Sermon gets the majority of headlines, and for good reason. The man broke Ohio State’s single-game rushing record, a mark that Eddie George set before the Oklahoma graduate transfer was even born. But without Justin Hilliard, who’s been on this team’s sidelines since Ezekiel Elliott, J.T. Barrett, Taylor Decker and Michael Thomas trained at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, the Buckeyes might not have won the Big Ten title game this weekend.
The double-redshirt senior was, in a word, spectacular.
Hilliard nearly doubled up his prior career high by racking up a team-best nine tackles with two coming for losses. He had never previously recorded more than five total tackles in a game before this weekend, and he secured five of them in solo fashion on Saturday. His third-quarter interception was only the second pick of his career.
Way back on June 2, 2014, Hilliard committed to Ohio State with dreams of playing the way he did on Saturday. Six and a half years ago, he couldn’t have predicted – and wouldn’t have wanted to predict – this college football career arc. It hasn’t been easy. Not a single person on the planet could have blamed him for giving it up once injury after injury started wiping him out entire seasons.
But Hilliard didn’t, because he saw what happened on Saturday coming even if it was hard for others to believe.
“Oh my gosh, man,” Hilliard said. “This whole journey, man, it's been tough but it's been such a blessing at the same time. I know earlier this week I was able to talk to the younger guys at Senior Tackle and that was just so emotional for me because just the journey I've been on and the guys that have been here with me to stick with me and push me through some of those tougher times.
“I knew I had to step up today in a bigger role and I'm glad I was able to.”
That bigger role led to bigger opportunities than ever before, and he rose to the occasion.
Northwestern offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian essentially pointed to a one-on-one matchup between tight end John Raine and Hilliard and said, “I think my guy is better than your guy,” when he dialed up an end-zone fade from the 9-yard line on 3rd-and-8 on the first drive of the second half. Hilliard locked onto Raine, recognized the underthrown pass and jumped in front of him to pick the ball off.
The Buckeyes, trailing by four points and threatening to go down by double figures, needed somebody to make a play. And because the Wildcats – and quarterback Peyton Ramsey – decided to pick on the sixth-year linebacker in man-to-man coverage, Hilliard both got and capitalized on the chance.
“Oh my God,” head coach Ryan Day said. “How about the interception he had in the one-on-one? I mean, he played his tail off.”
Hilliard added: “Our coaches put us in the best positions, man, to make plays. I felt like I was extremely ready. I was ready for him to run that fade. I was glad I was able to make that play".
Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...-breakthrough-to-propel-ohio-state-to-big-ten
The best, most impactful player on Ohio State’s Big Ten championship-winning defense on Saturday was a sixth-year senior.
A former five-star recruit whose college football career continues as he steadfastly remains chasing his NFL dreams despite suffering a multitude of injuries that have ended playing careers, including a torn Achilles and torn biceps in both arms. A backup linebacker who sat out the first game with an injury, missed the second one due to a false positive and only got the start against Northwestern because Baron Browning was deemed unavailable. A veteran who graduated from the university last weekend making his first start of the season with his position coach missing due to a positive coronavirus test.
That guy.
Trey Sermon gets the majority of headlines, and for good reason. The man broke Ohio State’s single-game rushing record, a mark that Eddie George set before the Oklahoma graduate transfer was even born. But without Justin Hilliard, who’s been on this team’s sidelines since Ezekiel Elliott, J.T. Barrett, Taylor Decker and Michael Thomas trained at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, the Buckeyes might not have won the Big Ten title game this weekend.
The double-redshirt senior was, in a word, spectacular.
Hilliard nearly doubled up his prior career high by racking up a team-best nine tackles with two coming for losses. He had never previously recorded more than five total tackles in a game before this weekend, and he secured five of them in solo fashion on Saturday. His third-quarter interception was only the second pick of his career.
Way back on June 2, 2014, Hilliard committed to Ohio State with dreams of playing the way he did on Saturday. Six and a half years ago, he couldn’t have predicted – and wouldn’t have wanted to predict – this college football career arc. It hasn’t been easy. Not a single person on the planet could have blamed him for giving it up once injury after injury started wiping him out entire seasons.
But Hilliard didn’t, because he saw what happened on Saturday coming even if it was hard for others to believe.
“Oh my gosh, man,” Hilliard said. “This whole journey, man, it's been tough but it's been such a blessing at the same time. I know earlier this week I was able to talk to the younger guys at Senior Tackle and that was just so emotional for me because just the journey I've been on and the guys that have been here with me to stick with me and push me through some of those tougher times.
“I knew I had to step up today in a bigger role and I'm glad I was able to.”
That bigger role led to bigger opportunities than ever before, and he rose to the occasion.
Northwestern offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian essentially pointed to a one-on-one matchup between tight end John Raine and Hilliard and said, “I think my guy is better than your guy,” when he dialed up an end-zone fade from the 9-yard line on 3rd-and-8 on the first drive of the second half. Hilliard locked onto Raine, recognized the underthrown pass and jumped in front of him to pick the ball off.
The Buckeyes, trailing by four points and threatening to go down by double figures, needed somebody to make a play. And because the Wildcats – and quarterback Peyton Ramsey – decided to pick on the sixth-year linebacker in man-to-man coverage, Hilliard both got and capitalized on the chance.
“Oh my God,” head coach Ryan Day said. “How about the interception he had in the one-on-one? I mean, he played his tail off.”
Hilliard added: “Our coaches put us in the best positions, man, to make plays. I felt like I was extremely ready. I was ready for him to run that fade. I was glad I was able to make that play".
Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...-breakthrough-to-propel-ohio-state-to-big-ten
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Can't be more happier for the kid. I remember meeting his dad at a Colerain game 6yrs ago when Justin was still a senior at St. X(Colerain was his neighborhood public school and where he wouldve went). Dad was incredibly nice to me and my family and very unassuming hanging out with fellow Cardinals parents and boosters. This kid has had an amazing journey, and this is a game that he's earned and deserved. Hope this vaults him to an opportunity at the next level
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buckeyes_rock
Great day to be a Buckeye
Re-watching the game...Hilliard looked like he was shot out of a cannon today! Silver bullet just flying around out there. Great effort from him and boy did we need it!
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Return of the Mack!
I dont care how they do it but they have to keep him in the lineup somehow, especially against the dynamic offenses in the playoff
I dont care how they do it but they have to keep him in the lineup somehow, especially against the dynamic offenses in the playoff
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
PLAY LIKE A FIVE-STAR. Due to some of the worst injury luck I've ever witnessed, it's taken Justin Hilliard more years than he's supposed to have in eligibility to reach his five-star potential.
But on Saturday, the dude was there.
And to think, he wasn't even supposed to start on Saturday. The only reason he did was because Baron Browning was out. And then he went and was the best defensive player on both sides of the ball.
Just sayin': Makes his performance even more amazing.
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DaBuckeyes
Hall of Fame
Best linebacker on the team in my eyes. Hoping he plays a lot on the 1st.
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