On January 1st, Ohio State sophomore safety Vonn Bell will take the field in the Sugar Bowl with designs on helping the 4th-seeded Buckeyes take down top-ranked Alabama in the College Football Playoff.
At one point during his recruitment, it seemed more likely the Rossville, Georgia product would be suiting up for the Crimson Tide in big games considering Nick Saban's program was coming off back-to-back national titles, TuscaLucifer usually gets what he wants, and playing in Tuscaloosa would've been a much closer option than Columbus.
All those factors, along with Tennessee's strong run at the five-star product made it a recruiting coup when Urban Meyer convinced Bell to pledge his allegiance to the Buckeyes on National Signing Day nearly two years ago, giving Ohio State the nation's 2nd-ranked class behind none other than Saban's Tide.
Despite his lofty status as a recruit thanks to a well-rounded skill set, Bell's freshman season didn't begin to sizzle until he earned his first start in Ohio State's loss to Clemson in the Orange Bowl.
Why that reality came to be is still a head-scratcher for many as Bell sat behind senior Pitt Brown who showed more than enough warts and a low enough ceiling that a strong case could be made Bell sat on the bench for far too long, delaying his development. That, or else Bell set a college football record for most improvement during bowl practices because when he finally got his shot, he responded with a seven solo tackle effort featuring a nifty interception of a Tahj Boyd throw to keep the game close early.
With Brown's departure, it seemed like Bell would be a lock for a starting safety spot opposite Tyvis Powell this year but in the season opener against Navy it was Cam Burrows who got the nod. Undeterred by another dose of adversity, Bell turned in a seven tackle performance, good for third-best on the day, and seized the job for good.
Increased snaps earned as the clear cut starter gave Bell valuable experience which manifested a growing confidence allowing him to turn in his best performances in Ohio State's biggest games.
On the road in Happy Valley, Bell intercepted a Christian Hackenberg throw on the game's first series giving the Ohio State offense excellent field position which the quickly turned into a 7-0 lead. The Buckeyes would go on to win in double-overtime in their first true road test of the season. (We know, PSU fan. The ball hit the ground but if the stripes called it a pick, it's a pick.)
Two weeks later in East Lansing, Bell finished second on the team with seven stops and added a pass breakup as the Buckeyes made their first real statement of the season in blowing past Michigan State.
The following Saturday, again on the road, this time in frigid Minneapolis, Bell placed second on the team with seven tackles and two pass breakups. His biggest play of the day however came via a game-changing interception with Ohio State nursing a 24-14 lead in the 4th quarter. The play put the Buckeyes in business at the Gopher 30-yard line and the offense would capitalize five plays later as J.T. Barrett hit Evan Spencer on a perfectly executed tunnel screen to put Ohio State in front 31-14 with just over 10 minutes to play.
| PLAYER | SOLO | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|
| JOSH PERRY | 67 | 113 |
| VONN BELL | 46 | 78 |
| DARRON LEE | 43 | 66 |
| TYVIS POWELL | 38 | 64 |
| CURTIS GRANT | 28 | 53 |
Two weeks later, in his first real taste of The Game, Bell turned in a spectacular effort posting a team and career-high nine tackles to go along with a pass breakup and another interception. His pick was virtually a Penn State redux as he victimized Devin Gardner on his first throw of the day on the game's second play from scrimmage. Setting up the OSU offense at the Wolverine 41, Barrett would find Nick Vannett for a six-yard touchdown toss and the Buckeyes would eventually prevail 42-28 to finish the B1G regular season slate at a perfect 8-0.
Finally, in the B1G championship game throttling of Wisconsin, Bell paced the defense with seven tackles and added another interception as part of a defensive performance evoking memories of Silver Bullets past.
Through 13 games, Bell ranks second on the team with 78 total tackles and 32 solo stops thanks to typically picture perfect form making him the surest tackler in the OSU secondary since Mike Doss. Beyond his ability as a run stopper and open field tackler, Bell's five interceptions tie him with senior cornerback Doran Grant for most on the team while his 11 passes defensed are second only to Grant. Bell's six pass breakups rank third.
With his confidence at an all-time high and his proven ability to step up in Ohio State's biggest games, the future All-American is primed to be a factor against Alabama next Thursday night.
