COLUMBUS, Ohio — With all due respect to Ezekiel Elliott’s run through the postseason, the most impressive play of Ohio State’s 2014 national championship campaign came at the midway point of the regular season.
Facing their toughest test of the year since a Week 2 loss to Virginia Tech, the Buckeyes found themselves on the ropes in a double-overtime outing at Penn State, where a loss would have knocked Ohio State out of playoff contention for good. Fortunately for the Buckeyes, the tiresome test seemed to bring out the best in defensive end Joey Bosa, whose game-clinching sack through Nittany Lions running back Akeel Lynch sealed Ohio State’s victory.
“I was so exhausted and I didn’t even run the play right. I just shot the gap and I was supposed to loop out,” Bosa recalled on Monday. “I don’t think I’ll be able to top a moment like that.”
Only a sophomore at the time, Bosa’s impressive play helped solidify his status as a potential No. 1 pick a year and a half ahead of the 2016 NFL draft.
Should Bosa find himself in the green room for the draft next spring, he’ll likely be joined by the recipient of his spectacular sack, Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg, whom he’ll be lining up across from once again on Saturday when Ohio State welcomes the Nittany Lions to Ohio Stadium.
Projected by some to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft since last spring, Hackenberg has been on the NFL’s radar since his Big Ten Freshman of the Year…
Continue Reading: Why Ohio State vs. Penn State Is an NFL Scout’s Dream Matchup
