The final individual tributes of the season for Ohio State after its 40-35 loss to Clemson on Friday night in the Discover Orange Bowl.
LB Joshua Perry: The sophomore has had his rough patches during his first full season as a starter, but he ended it with perhaps his strongest overall outing. The Buckeyes obviously again gave up chunks of yardage and a lot of points, but Perry showed up with a hard-hitting attitude, led the team with 10 tackles and also chipped in a sack in a performance he can build on heading into the offseason. If Ryan Shazier winds up skipping his senior season, Perry will have even more pressure to deliver productive performances like that more frequently as a junior.
RB Carlos Hyde: The Tigers loaded up the box to slow him down, but more often than not, Hyde’s relentless rushing style still moved piles and kept the offense moving. In his final game with the program, the senior battled his way to 113 yards rushing, added 39 receiving yards and scored a pair of touchdowns to cap a fantastic campaign in the Ohio State backfield. If anything, the Buckeyes might not have even given him the football enough despite his 27 touches.
DB Vonn Bell: The spotlight was on the touted freshman in his first significant action, and while he was beat deep for a touchdown in the early going, he largely delivered on the hype that accompanied his recruitment. Playing in the nickel package, Bell was up to the physical challenge with seven tackles, but it was his leaping, one-handed interception in the red zone that will only add to the excitement about his future heading into the offseason. A full-time role is on the way.
Continue reading this article at ESPN: Helmet stickers: Discover Orange Bowl
