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Diahuebs 7 Januari 2021

Buckeyes' Sermon breaks out ahead of national title game

(AP) — During the first down and then picks back
four games of Ohio State's up.”
pandemic-shortened sea- Playing behind Teague in
son, transfer running back the first four games, Ser-
Trey Sermon was easy to mon had 232 rushing yards
overlook on a team full of and zero touchdowns. In the
big names and future NFL three games since, he's rolled
draft picks. up 636 yards with four TDs
while averaging 9 yards per
Nobody is overlooking him carry.
now. Coach Ryan Day said that
Astonishing efforts in the with Teague sidelined again,
past two games — including Sermon got more carries,
a 331-yard, two-touchdown gained back some confidence
performance in the Big Ten and found his old groove.
championship game that His tackle-breaking style
earned him a Twitter shou- and bursts in the secondary
tout from LeBron James — have drawn comparisons to
have brought Sermon the Ezekiel Elliott, who helped
level of national attention he carry Ohio State to a national
sought while playing three championship after the 2014
solid years at Oklahoma. season.
“When I came here, my goal
was to do whatever I can to “The best part about Trey is
help this team out and play when all that was going on,
for a national championship,” mon's name last weekend the Buckeyes would win. sheepishly, almost mischie- he never came into my office,
Sermon said this week as the when he rushed for 193 yards In the Clemson game, he vously, after a replay showed never complained, never said
Buckeyes prepared to play and a TD and caught four was also the guy with the sly he was down before rolling ‘I need more carries,’ none
top-ranked Alabama in the passes for 61 yards in Ohio smile. off a defender and trying to of that stuff,” Day said. “Just
title game on Monday night. State's 49-28 victory over ESPN cameras caught the sell it to officials as a touch- kept his mouth shut and kept
“It’s all happened, and it does Clemson in a College Foot- engaging Sermon, his hel- down run. ESPN replayed going to work. I think that
kind of seem like a dream.” ball Playoff semifinal, a game met pushed back on his head, the smile moment a few is the best part of this whole
More people learned Ser- few prognosticators thought glancing up and smiling times, and soon it was show- story, is he just kept going
ing up in internet memes. every single day to work and
Cavs' Garland has shoulder sprain, Exum Sermon ended up at Ohio never said anything about it.
State because he needed a And now he’s playing at a
could miss 2 months place to play as a graduate high, high level.”
transfer and the Buckeyes Sermon, 6-foot-1 and 215
needed a seasoned perform- pounds, is back on the radar
er in their injury-depleted of pro scouts and can move
running backs room. When up the draft board if he can
he signed on in the spring, manage to stand out Mon-
presumptive starter Master day among an array of other
Teague III was rehabbing NFL-bound players, includ-
from an Achilles tendon in- ing Alabama's Heisman Tro-
jury and his future was un- phy winner DeVonta Smith.
certain. Jim Nagy, executive director
of the Reese's Senior Bowl
Sermon, who was recruited and a longtime NFL scout,
by Ohio State as a prep play- puts Sermon in the same
er, arrived in Columbus with category as Josh Jacobs, the
some bona fides. former Alabama back drafted
He was the Big 12’s Offen- in the first round by the Las
sive Freshman of the Year in Vegas Raiders in 2019 despite
2017, scoring his first touch- getting stuck behind stars
down at Ohio Stadium on Damien Harris and Najee
a pass from Baker Mayfield Harris on the Tide's depth
in a win over the Buckeyes. chart.
Joining Kyler Murray in the “Josh Jacobs was a backup
Sooners' backfield in 2018, in college and is a stud in
he had his best season, rush- the NFL,” Nagy tweeted
ing for 947 yards and scoring last month. “Trey Sermon
13 touchdowns. has been a backup in college
In his junior year, Sermon and he WILL be a stud in the
(AP) — Cleveland last week during a game in Exum has made three starts had to fight for playing time NFL. Evaluate the player, not
Cavaliers starting guard Atlanta. He was kept out of for the Cavs, who have been before his season was cut the depth chart.”
Darius Garland might Monday’s loss and underwent dealing with numerous short by a knee injury in the
miss another week with an MRI. The second-year injuries since the start of the ninth game. He graduated
a shoulder sprain, while guard is averaging 17.2 points season. from Oklahoma so he could
guard Danté Exum could and 6.3 assists in six starts. He Cleveland is without star transfer without sitting out,
miss two months with a averaged 12.3 points in his forward Kevin Love, who and continued to rehab his
calf strain. abbreviated rookie season. aggravated a calf injury in knee as the Big Ten stopped
Exum injured his calf in the team's second game and and started again because of
Cleveland provided the the first quarter Monday. is expected to be out at least the pandemic.
injury updates Wednesday The Cavaliers said he'll a couple more weeks. The “It was pretty rough in the
before playing the Magic for begin treatments and rehab Cavs are expected to have beginning,” he said. “Just
the second time in three days. and is expected to miss rookie Isaac Okoro back after coming here and not being
Garland began experiencing approximately six to eight he missed five games with a able to be around everybody,
discomfort in his shoulder weeks of basketball activity. foot injury. and then everything gets shut