The Buckeyes are heading back to the NCFA National Championship Game.
After not playing in 2020 due to COVID-19, Ohio State was informed Monday it has been selected for the 2021 NCFA National Championship Game, giving the Buckeyes a shot at defending their 2019 title. Ohio State earned the right to play for it all after defeating Wright State, 55-12, in the Great American Region Conference Championship Game.
After beating the Raiders 57-7 a week prior, Ohio State played Wright State in white-out conditions on Sunday, November 14 as wind gusts reached 20 MPH with snow and sleet falling for the majority of the game. Due to the weather conditions, the Buckeyes attempted just three passes on the day, while the offensive line went to work.
Ohio State rushed for nearly 500 yards against the Raiders, with three Buckeyes eclipsing the 100-yard total. Quarterback Kellyn Gerenstein, who threw for 283 yards and three touchdowns a week prior, carried the ball 16 times for 203 yards and four touchdowns in the second matchup against Wright State. In terms of yardage, it was the third-most productive rushing performance in team history and the four rushing touchdowns set a single-game program record.
Running back Jalen Haley also helped carry the load for the Buckeyes on the ground, toting the ball 15 times for 169 yards and three scores. His 169 yards on the ground is good for the fourth-best rushing performance in team history, and also pushed him past Madu Eneli (2017) as the single-season rushing leader in program history with 783 yards. Haley and Gerenstein are tied for the team lead in rushing touchdowns with 11 each, also putting them in a first-place tie for the program record for rushing scores in a season.
Johnathan Thiele, who missed three games in the middle of the season due to injury, also rushed for more than 100-yards, carrying 14 times for 120 yards and a score. On the season, he has accumulated 256 yards on 30 carries to go along with a pair of touchdowns.
The 55-point outburst for the Ohio State offense marks the third-straight 50-point performance for the Buckeyes this season. Those three games account for three of the five top scoring outputs in team history, with the other two coming in 2016.
Defensively, Ohio State posted a second-half shutout thanks to a number of standout performances. While he was held without a catch offensively, Casey Scroggins recorded two interceptions on defense, giving him five on the season. Dierre Blash, while also starting at right guard on offense, was a menace on defense, collecting 11 total tackles, four for loss and 3.5 sacks. Linebacker Colby Stahl led all players with 15 total tackles, two of which came for loss to go along with 1.5 sacks. Defensive end Chris Karras also dominated the line of scrimmage, tallying eight stops and two sacks.
Ohio State will take on George Mason in the 2021 NCFA National Championship Game, a rematch of a regular season game won by the Buckeyes, 29-28. Kickoff is set for Dec. 4 at Waynesburg University in Waynesburg, PA.
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