As Parris Campbell thought about the fact that he would be playing his final home game at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, the fifth-year senior wide receiver couldn’t help but feel some disbelief.
Saturday’s game at the Shoe will be the most important game of Ohio State’s season, as the Buckeyes look to extend their six-year winning streak against Michigan with a Big Ten East title on the line, but for Campbell and at least 11 other Ohio State players, it will also be their last game wearing the scarlet and gray inside the House That Harley Built.
“It’s everything. Everything’s on the line for us as a team. Everything’s on the line for me as a senior, playing my last game in the Horseshoe,” Campbell said while meeting with the media on Tuesday. “It’s crazy that I just said that, because I never really thought I would be sitting here saying that, but it’s here, it’s everything.”
Before the Buckeyes’ battle with the Wolverines kicks off at around noon on Saturday, Ohio State will honor 12 seniors who will be playing their final home games at Ohio Stadium, including three wide receivers, five offensive linemen, a linebacker, a tight end and two kicking specialists.
| Player | Position | Hometown |
|---|---|---|
| Bryan Kristan | Punter | Canfield, Ohio |
| Tate Duarte | Tight End | Poland, Ohio |
| Sean Nuernberger | Kicker | Buckner, Ky. |
| Blake Pfenning | Offensive Lineman | Wakaponeta, Ohio |
| Malcolm Pridgeon | Left Guard | Central Islip, N.Y. |
| Brady Taylor | Offensive Lineman | Columbus, Ohio |
| Demetrius Knox | Right Guard | Fort Worth, Texas |
| Isaiah Prince | Right Tackle | Greenbelt, Md. |
| Dante Booker | Linebacker | Akron, Ohio |
| Johnnie Dixon | Wide Receiver | West Palm Beach, Fla. |
| Parris Campbell | Wide Receiver | Akron, Ohio |
| Terry McLaurin | Wide Receiver | Indianapolis, Ind. |
Among those seniors, the three wide receivers who will run out of the tunnel last are the three wide receivers – Campbell, Terry McLaurin and Johnnie Dixon – who are all captains, fifth-year seniors and among the team’s top leaders. Ohio State coach Urban Meyer has raved about what those receivers have brought to his team all year long, and their teammates also credit them with playing integral roles in the Buckeyes’ success.
“Those guys are unbelievable,” said redshirt sophomore linebacker Tuf Borland, who is also a team captain. “Terry, Parris, Johnnie; you can’t really put into words how much they mean to this team. But just the start of it is their play on the field. They bring so much off the field, and we’re lucky to be around those guys.”
Both Campbell and McLaurin gave consideration toward moving on from Ohio State after last season and taking their shots at playing in the NFL, but they ultimately decided to return for their final seasons of eligibility. And as they reflected back on their decisions Tuesday, both said they were glad they decided to stay in Columbus for one more year.
“To a certain degree I was probably a little silly (to consider leaving),” McLaurin said. “But just everything that I could accomplish this year I’ve accomplished so far, and that’s really, really what you look for coming back for another year. I’ve been around some great leaders, I’ve got to witness Dwayne and how great he can be, and I’ve even been able to make myself a leader and a big part of our offense and those are the things I looked for coming back. To improve, possibly going to the next level and showing that I could be a leader for this team. And I feel like I’ve left some sort of legacy.”
Campbell said he believes he has “benefited tremendously” from his decision to stay at Ohio State.
“Everything’s on the line for me as a senior, playing my last game in the Horseshoe. It’s crazy that I just said that, because I never really thought I would be sitting here saying that, but it’s here, it’s everything.”– Parris Campbell on playing his final home game Saturday
Three other key seniors this year have been on the offensive line, where Malcolm Pridgeon has played every meaningful snap at left guard, Demetrius Knox has played every meaningful snap at right guard and Isaiah Prince has played every first-team snap at right tackle.
Prince, another team captain, has had his share of ups and downs in his three years as a starter for the Buckeyes. But as he reflected back on his four years as a Buckeye on Tuesday, he expressed gratitude for the opportunities he has had in Columbus.
“It has been a crazy journey over the last four years that I have been here,” Prince said. “I don’t know how to describe it, a lot of ups and downs. Just blessed and thankful for the opportunities.”
Isaiah Prince is among the 12 seniors who will be playing their final home game at Ohio Stadium on Saturday.
Other noteworthy seniors include Dante Booker and Sean Nuernberger, the only remaining players on the Buckeyes’ roster who actually played during the 2014 national championship season. Booker has only played sparingly on defense this year (63 snaps), but has been a regular on special teams; Nuernberger was Ohio State’s starting kicker for its first six games of the season, but has not played since suffering a groin injury prior to the Buckeyes’ seventh game of the year.
Brady Taylor, who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in September, has not played since the first two games of the season. Tate Duarte, a walk-on, has appeared in just one game this season; Blake Pffening and Bryan Kristan, also walk-ons, have not played at all this year. Nonetheless, all of them will also be recognized for their contributions to the program and receive their individual ovations from the crowd as they take the field at Ohio Stadium on Saturday.
Unlike last year, when Ohio State’s final home game of the season came against Illinois, there won’t be any opportunity to give seniors ceremonial playing time on Saturday. The Buckeyes need to be entirely focused on beating Michigan on Saturday, and as such, the seniors know they can’t allow themselves to get too caught up in the moment.
“Walk in that stadium, get called up and see your name; Just look up, seeing 110,000 because I’m sure that place will be packed; I’ll see my family waiting for me at the end of the line; I mean, I’m sure I’ll be emotional, but I’m not going to let that get in the way of what’s at stake come kickoff,” Campbell said. “There’s still a mission ahead, and I’m sure it’ll be an emotional time, but I’m not going to let it get in the way.”
That said, the seniors who spoke to the media on Tuesday said they are excited to be playing in The Game in their final game at Ohio Stadium.
“This is the game that I’m going to remember for the rest of my life,” said Prince, who said his favorite memory at Ohio Stadium is the Buckeyes’ double overtime win over Michigan in 2016.
Knox, another fifth-year senior, said that playing his final home game against the Wolverines makes it extra special.
“It’s amazing to be able to have this game as my last home game,” Knox said. “It’s amazing.”
Prince acknowledged, though, that it isn’t easy to think about the fact that after Saturday, he will never play another game for the Buckeyes in Ohio Stadium.
“It’s bittersweet,” Prince said. “It’s tough. I never really thought about my last home game at Ohio State, it still hasn’t hit me yet. I have to just try my best not to think about it.”
