Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, who briefly left last week’s game against Michigan when he aggravated a sprained MCL, said he will wear a bulky knee brace for Saturday’s Big Ten championship game.
Fields told reporters Tuesday that his left knee still hurts and that he will wear the same kind of brace used by offensive linemen when the No. 1 Buckeyes play No. 12 Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis.
“I’m playing on Saturday,” said Fields, admitting he won’t be as mobile while wearing the brace. “I don’t care how much it hurts.”
Fields limped off the field Saturday in the third quarter and went into the medical tent. After missing several plays, he returned on the same drive and hit Garrett Wilson with a 30-yard touchdown pass on his first play back as Ohio State went on to a 56-27 victory.
Coach Ryan Day said he was “numb” when he saw Fields stay down on the field after taking a hit to his leg.
“Just trying to figure out what we were going to do if he wasn’t able to play for the rest of the game, trying to come up with solutions to the issue,” Day said Tuesday. “Then went up to him and kind of asked him what he thought. He looked up and said, ‘Just put a brace on it, I’ll be fine.’
“Blew me away, looking at the shot he took, how tough he was, to come back and make a play like that, one of the coolest things I’ve been a part of.”
Fields, a sophomore transfer from Georgia, is likely to be a Heisman Trophy finalist. He has completed 189 of 277 passes for 2,654 yards, 37 touchdowns and one interception. He also has 470 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.
