COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Quarterback Justin Fields had just walked back onto the field during Ohio State football’s 56-27 win over Michigan.
He’d spent the last seven plays on the sideline and in the medical tent changing knee braces after reaggravating a sprained MCL in his knee. The new brace would provide more protection; in exchange, he’d be limited in his mobility. But that wasn’t the case on his next throw.
Instead, he made one of the most impressive plays in the rivalry's history and threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to give the Buckeyes a 35-16 lead in the third quarter.
“That was one of the best throws I’ve seen in a long time,” OSU coach Ryan Day said. “In that spot after taking that hit after just putting a brace on. ... I don’t even know what to say. It was a magical moment. I’m just proud to have been a part of it.”
Fields showed just how tough of a quarterback he was in the Michigan game and how it may be his best quality above his many other talents.
It also showed the world the chemistry he’d developed with freshman wide receiver Garrett Wilson over the past year. That process of building that chemistry started before the two had even been on campus for 24 hours.
“He’s a down-to-earth kid,” Wilson’s mother, Candace, told cleveland.com. “He’s very, very smart. Humble, but very confident.”
It was move-in day for the early-enrollment players in the Buckeyes’ 2019 recruiting class. Wilson was among the six players who arrived on campus prior to spring practice in January. Also joining them was Fields, who’d just announced his decision to transfer from Georgia to Ohio State.
The two met while moving into their neighboring spring dorm rooms. Once unpacked, Fields hitched a ride with Wilson and his family to get food at Ohio Stadium. As they sat in the back of the car, their relationship started to form. That began with Wilson’s father, Kenny, acknowledging the size of Ohio State’s next starting quarterback.
“What I first recognized was just how big he is,” Kenny Wilson told cleveland.com. “I liked his demeanor. I knew he would mesh well with Garrett.”
As a transfer, Fields is a bit out of place. He’s a 2018 recruit who wasn’t a part of Ohio State’s 2018 recruiting class. That’s why Wilson views him as another member of the 2019 class instead. He got here at the same time as they did and essentially went through the same process that most freshmen do when they arrive on campus. It’s why they clicked from the moment they met.
"Just the time we spent together, we've always been able to talk," Wilson said. "There's been nothing to it. It's like we're talking like we've known each other for 10 years."
It took little time for the two to mesh off the field, while on it, Wilson's growing role has allowed it to mesh as well. Against Michigan, that resulted in three catches on five targets for a team-high 118 yards and a touchdown. It was the second time an Ohio State receiver had gone over the 100-yard mark this season.
Fields etched his name into the history of the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry by putting on a Heisman-level performance. His “magical moment” in the third quarter should be enough to send him to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony, according to his head coach. He made a play that required him to show off his mobility, toughness and the chemistry he’d developed with his receivers when put into situations where he has to scramble.
So what better player to have that moment with than the one he met on move-in day. The two have come a long way since that cordial conversation in the back of a car.
"We've just been building it up," Wilson said. "He's an awesome dude, great player. I can't wait for the future with him."
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