As the 2017 calendar comes to a close, it is once again that time of year where we count down Ohio State's top plays of the football season.
There were plenty of plays to choose from, but only 11 are allowed on the list. We start at the No. 11 spot with Ohio State H-back Parris Campbell, who made his presence felt on the same play in a few games.
11. Parris Campbell Bubble Screens
While Campbell's struggles continued in the passing game at times this season, there was always one sure-fire way to make sure the speedster got the ball in his hands: bubble screens.
Two of Campbell's three touchdowns this season came on bubbles, while the other came on a short drag route against Indiana in the season opener. His speed once he was able to corral the ball was as impressive as any play this season, but he checks in at 11th on our list.
10. J.T. Barrett's Touchdown Run vs. Michigan
Playing on an injured knee, Barrett struggled in the passing game against the Wolverines on Nov. 25, but still managed to be effective with his legs before aggravating the injury in the third quarter of the 31-20 win over Michigan.
His 21-yard touchdown run in the second quarter on 3rd-and-9 got the Buckeyes on the scoreboard after trailing 14-0, and began to turn the momentum in Ohio State's favor. Despite his lack of stats in the game, his touchdown run on a broken pass play helped the Buckeyes stay perfect against Michigan in the Urban Meyer era.
9. J.K. Dobbins Jump Cut vs. Indiana
With Mike Weber recovering from a hamstring injury, Dobbins became the first freshman running back to start the season opener since Maurice Clarett. He didn't take long to show the country what he was capable of.
With Ohio State trailing 7-3 in the second quarter, Dobbins used a pair of impressive jump cuts to break off a 35-yard run against Indiana, giving the Buckeyes much needed momentum. Dobbins finished with 181 yards against the Hoosiers, and ended up earning ESPN Freshman All-America honors by the end of the season.
8. Terry McLaurin Goes 84 Yards vs. Wisconsin
Playing in his hometown, McLaurin's first of two receptions in the Big Ten title game went 84 yards for a touchdown to open the scoring against Wisconsin in Indianapolis. The touchdown pass was the longest of Barrett's career and gave Ohio State a lead it would never relinquish in a 27-21 victory.
The catch-and-run doesn't quite have the impressive ability that Dobbins' run had, but it set the tone for the game that ultimately resulted in a Big Ten championship for the Buckeyes, landing it at No. 8 on our list.
7. Mike Weber Bursts Through MSU Defense For 82-Yard Score
Weber's big day against Michigan State was impressive for a number of reasons. For starters, Weber had been relegated to a backup role for most of the season behind Dobbins, and had yet to put together consistent performances. After opening the game with a 47-yard touchdown run, Weber followed it up with the longest run of the 2017 season for Ohio State.
His 82-yard run against Michigan State was also relevant because it came against one of the top rush defenses in the conference, and showcased a burst of speed no one outside of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center had seen from the sophomore. It also happened to come one week after Ohio State's running backs disappeared in a shocking loss to Iowa.
6. Denzel Ward Picks Off Alex Hornibrook
After trading three-and-outs, Wisconsin's offense was marching down the field against Ohio State in the Big Ten title game before Ward made a leaping interception while defending the Big Ten's tight end of the year, Troy Fumagalli.
The interception set up McLaurin's touchdown mentioned earlier, and ended Wisconsin's first threat of the contest. Without it, the Badgers might have started the game with momentum, and who knows what might have happened after that?
5. Rashod Berry Goes Beast Mode vs. UNLV
While the game was already well in hand, Berry's touchdown reception against UNLV in the final non-conference game of the season was perhaps the most physically impressive touchdown of the season for Ohio State.
Berry took a short pass from backup quarterback Dwayne Haskins and broke a number of tackles en route to his first career touchdown reception. This play would have been higher on our list had it not come against UNLV in garbage time, but Berry's best Marshawn Lynch impression was good enough to crack our top five.
4. Denzel Ward Blocks Penn State Punt
For a good portion of Ohio State's win over Penn State, it looked like the Buckeyes were dead in the water, playing catchup against the Nittany Lions from the opening kick. Momentum finally changed for Ohio State when Ward used his speed off the edge to block a fourth quarter punt from the Nittany Lions.
The punt block set up a 38-yard touchdown pass to Johnnie Dixon that sent Ohio Stadium into a frenzy that didn't seem to end until well after the final whistle blew. In fact, the next two plays on our list both happened after Ward's block, all of which played an integral role in the Buckeye comeback.
3. Sam Hubbard Tackles Entire Penn State Backfield
With Ohio State trailing 38-33 with 4:14 to play, Penn State needed just a few first downs to hold off a late Buckeye comeback attempt. Enter Sam Hubbard.
On the first play of the Nittany Lion drive, Hubbard sped past a pulling guard and tackled both Trace McSorley and Saquon Barkley in the backfield, resulting in a loss of seven, dooming the drive before it could even get started.
2. Marcus Baugh Caps Comeback vs. Penn State
Plays No. 3 and 4 on this list led to Baugh's game-winning score against the Nittany Lions, which sent Ohio Stadium into a fever pitch not heard in years. The play itself wasn't all that impressive, but what it meant (at least at the time) held more significance than any other play on this list to this point.
At the time, Baugh's catch seemed to be the play that could get Ohio State back into the playoff hunt and back to the top of the Big Ten, where Penn State and Michigan State had reigned for the previous two years. While a loss to Iowa ruined the Buckeyes' chances at the CFP, Baugh's catch played a significant role in getting Ohio State back to Indianapolis and back to the top of the conference.
1. Dwayne Haskins Finds Austin Mack vs. Michigan
Coming in cold off the bench in relief of an injured Barrett, Haskins' play off the bench against Michigan was one of the most critical performances of the year for Ohio State. His completion to Austin Mack for 27 yards on 3rd-and-13, with the Buckeyes trailing 20-14, was perhaps the biggest momentum-changer of the season.
The completion, combined with an impressive 22-yard scramble, set up what would be a go-ahead touchdown by Dobbins, as Ohio State was able to win its sixth straight against its archrival. Assuming Haskins wins the starting job in 2018, this is a connection Ohio State fans could get used to seeing a lot more moving forward.
Honorable Mentions
The following plays would have ended up on our list had they counted in the official record books. Even though they did not count, we would like to give them a shoutout anyway.
Robert Landers' Would-Be Scoop-And-Score Against Indiana
It didn't count after it was ruled a pass from Richard Lagow, but Landers' would-be scoop-and-score against Indiana was both impressive and hilarious, as his teammates would point out after the game.
Denzel Ward Has Barbecue Back There?
Ward's hit got him (wrongfully) ejected by the officials against Maryland, but that doesn't make the hit any less impressive. Gus Johnson's call of the hit only adds to the play that would have been on our list had it not gotten Ward tossed.
