Curtis Samuel sat in front of his locker and stared intently at the ground.
In the moments directly following Ohio State’s stunning 31-0 loss at the hands of Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl, the Buckeyes’ do-it-all offensive dynamo was clearly disappointed in the result, but perhaps even more impacted by how he felt he played.
“I just put a lot of blame on myself,” Samuel said as he shook his head. “I feel like I’m supposed to go out there and make more plays than I did. I feel like I didn’t do enough out there and I’ve got to make plays out there in big-time games like this.”
Samuel did not cost Ohio State this game. Let’s be clear about that first and foremost. The Buckeyes were dominated by the Tigers, in all phases, from start to finish.
Samuel did feel partially responsible for how Ohio State’s offense performed in this game, though. Clemson’s defense — particularly up front — dominated and the Tigers controlled Samuel for the most part, limiting the junior from Brooklyn to 110 total yards on 15 touches. Samuel broke off a 64-yard run in the fourth quarter, but other than that, Clemson flew around to the ball and bottled up Ohio State’s most explosive offensive weapon.
It illustrated why Samuel was so important to the Buckeyes’ offense in 2016, but also showed why his pending NFL Draft decision may be the most important of all the Ohio State players.
Samuel was one of the few bright spots this season for the Buckeyes’ offense. If he’s not back in 2017, what happens?
After two years of being a complementary player for Ohio State, Samuel emerged as the player for the Buckeyes in 2016. He racked up 865 receiving yards, 771 rushing yards and 15 total touchdowns. He was the only player in FBS to have at least 700 yards in each of those two categories.
For an offense that lacked explosion, not having your most dynamic player next year would certainly be a significant loss.
Samuel said after the game he had not made up his mind about whether or not he would return to Ohio State for his senior season. NFL people say he’s widely viewed as an early-round prospect — CBS Sports’ Dane Brugler estimates he’s a potential top-50 pick — but as a hybrid wide/receiver running back, he doesn’t have a true position. Another year in college could certainly help prepare Samuel for the next level.
“I’m not leaning any way,” Samuel said after the game regarding his looming decision. “I’m going to sit down with my family, my high school coach is probably going to be there too, Coach Meyer, and we’ll go from there.”
It won’t take long for a decision to come; the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the NFL Draft is Jan. 16. Samuel’s intentions should be known in the very near future.
With all that he brings to the table, however, Samuel's decision might just be the one Ohio State coaches are most eager to learn.
