OSU's Justin Fields Says He Suffered Thumb Injury in Big Ten Title Game

Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields led the No.4 Buckeyes to the Big Ten championship on Saturday with a 22-10 victory over No. 14 Northwestern, but he revealed afterward that he was not 100 percent healthy.

Fields said in a postgame interview that he thinks he sprained the thumb on his throwing hand.

The junior finished with 114 yards on 12-of-27 passing, was picked off twice and failed to throw a touchdown pass. He also rushed for 35 yards on 12 carries.

Fields and the Buckeyes got off to a slow start and trailed the Wildcats 10-6 after they failed to find the end zone in the first half. But two rushing touchdowns by Trey Sermon made the difference in the final two frames, and the Ohio State defense held Northwestern to secure the victory.

Fields, who threw for 3,273 yards and 41 touchdowns with just three interceptions while also scoring 10 rushing touchdowns last season as a first-year starter, also engineered a comeback win in the 2019 Big Ten Championship Game. In a 34-21 victory against Wisconsin, he threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns. The Badgers led 14-0 and 21-7 at halftime.

Leading up to Saturday, Fields had collected 1,407 yards and 15 touchdowns with three interceptions on 78.1 percent passing in addition to 239 rushing yards and five scores. He hadn't thrown a pick since Nov. 21, when he tossed three in a 42-35 win against Indiana.

Fields and the Buckeyes will await their postseason fate, with the College Football Playoff committee making its selections Sunday.