Justin Fields plays through MCL sprain because The Game matters more to Ohio State than Michigan

Justin Fields played through an MCL sprain vs. the Michigan Wolverines because The Game clearly matters more to Ohio State than Michigan because he said so.

En route to the Big Ten Championship Game, the Ohio State Buckeyes went into The Big House and gave the archrival Michigan Wolverines the business. Ohio State won the Big Ten East at 12-0 (9-0) by wiping the floor with the school up north to the tune of 56-27. Ohio State has three Heisman Trophy contenders, including quarterback Justin Fields who is playing through an injury.

Fields initially suffered the sprained MCL in the win last week vs. Penn State before reaggravating it vs. Michigan. He had played with a knee since the injury vs. Penn State, but got and put another one on after hurting his knee again Saturday vs. Michigan. He wanted to show his teammates how tough he is.

After winning the Big Ten East this year, Fields told the media that he believes The Game between Ohio State and Michigan means more to the Buckeyes. With Ohio State having last lost to Michigan when Fields was a middle schooler in Georgia, he might be on to something. Ohio State absolutely has Michigan’s number and everybody knows it.

Fields said, via Ari Wasserman, after the game he thinks the success Ohio State has in this rivalry that has seen the Buckeyes win 14 of the last 15 is because it just means more.

"“I think we take it more seriously than they do, to be honest.”"

While everybody in Ann Arbor wants to beat Ohio State as quickly as possible, the Wolverines will have to wait until 2020 at the absolute earliest. Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh is now 0-5 against Ohio State after taking over his alma mater’s program in 2015. We haven’t seen this rivalry this one-sided since John Cooper was coaching in Columbus over 20 years ago.

And if Michigan thinks it’s going to stop the bleeding at eight-straight losses to Ohio State, 2020 doesn’t look all that promising for the Buckeyes. Fields will be returning for his junior season and will probably be the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy entering next fall. Next year’s installment of The Game will be at The Horseshoe in Columbus. In short, Michigan will be up against it.

Although the Buckeyes may not be as complete of a team next year as they are in 2019, Ryan Day has his program humming in his first year since taking over for Urban Meyer in the offseason. Ohio State is the one Power 5 school that can compete with the southern powerhouses consistently in the College Football Playoff era. The Buckeyes have to be the Big Ten favorites again next year.

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