Ohio State Seniors Don't Get Their Final Sendoff at Ohio Stadium, But Still Have Plenty of Memories and the Chance to Make More

The Buckeyes’ Nov. 21 game against Indiana, which even their family members weren’t able to attend due to COVID-19 restrictions, wasn’t supposed to be their final game in the Shoe. Ohio State was planning to hold Senior Day festivities before Saturday’s game against Michigan, which players’ families were going to be allowed to attend. But when the Wolverines canceled their trip to Columbus, and Ohio State didn’t schedule a replacement game, the Buckeyes’ regular season came to an abrupt end, meaning they won’t play another home game this season – and for some Buckeyes, that means they’ll never play in Ohio Stadium again. 

Missing out on the opportunity to play the rivalry game and earn another pair of Gold Pants was a tough pill to swallow for everyone at Ohio State and its fans, but it was surely especially tough for the Buckeyes who know they won’t get another opportunity to play the Wolverines – and their parents who won’t get to watch them play in Ohio Stadium one final time.

“That game against the team up north is the one that’s always meant the most to him,” Jessica Moorman, the mother of Jonathon Cooper, told Eleven Warriors on Saturday.

But Moorman also said her son has done “a great job keeping things in perspective,” recognizing that Ohio State almost didn’t have the opportunity to play at all this season after the Big Ten initially canceled the season. Pete Werner’s mother Nancy, who has tagged many of her recent tweets with #everygamesablessing, said her son has been “Steady Eddie,” never expressing anger or looking for pity despite the disappointing cancellations throughout his final season as a Buckeye.

“Things have happened this season that have made us sad and made us angry and frustrated, going back all the way to August, and he’s just like, ‘It is what it is,’” Nancy Werner said. “That’s kind of the theme for 2020. You can’t do anything about it, so just go to do your business and do the best you can with however many games you get, and hopefully we keep playing.”

Certainly, Saturday’s game was one that all of those seniors were looking forward to, as Senior Day and the rivalry game always carry a little extra meaning. But there’s still plenty of memorable moments those seniors will be able to look back upon when their careers are over.

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For one, all of those seniors will finish their Ohio State careers undefeated against Michigan, and with the exception of graduate transfers like Trey Sermon and Gunnar Hoak, most of them had already earned multiple pairs of Gold Pants. Fifth-year seniors like Cooper and Tuf Borland will still leave Ohio State with four pairs of Gold Pants, while sixth-year senior Justin Hilliard will leave with five.

Ohio State’s seniors have already won three Big Ten championships, with the chance to win a fourth next weekend, and have won 43 games with just four losses since 2017, making them one of the most successful senior classes in school history.

“We’re really proud of these seniors,” Ryan Day said this past week.

Individually, many of them have made a huge impact on the Buckeyes. Borland is just the second three-time captain in Ohio State history, while Cooper is a two-time captain. Both of them have been multi-year starters, as have tight end Luke Farrell, left tackle Thayer Munford and linebacker Pete Werner. Baron Browning is finishing his career as a starter at linebacker, and Blake Haubeil and Drue Chrisman have been four-year staples at kicker and punter. Hilliard, who’s perhaps overcome the most of any senior to get to this point in his Ohio State career, is also a team captain this year.

“This is my technically third senior year, so it’s been a journey but I would say this year has officially finally felt like my real senior year, so it’s been a cool journey, because I kind of got to see some of the guys who I came in with with my class going on to play at the next level and they told me about just how special it is and how you can’t take it for granted, and ever since then, I’ve been trying my hardest to soak it all in,” Hilliard said Tuesday, just moments before learning the Ohio State-Michigan game had been canceled.

Justin Hilliard didn't get to play one final game in Ohio Stadium on Saturday, but his six-year Buckeye career isn't over yet.

Even without a true Senior Day in Ohio Stadium, Ohio State has certainly found other ways to recognize their seniors. The Buckeyes held their traditional Senior Tackle on Thursday, streaming the event on Zoom so their families could watch, and did a virtual Senior Day on Saturday, in which they recognized each of their seniors with tributes on social media.

Most importantly, though, those Buckeyes still have a chance to make a few more memories before their Ohio State careers are over. Borland’s father Kyle summed it up well in his Senior Day message for his son: “We just have a couple pieces of unfinished business that we gotta take care of. The first is to win another Big Ten championship, and the second is to make another run at the natty.”

To @Tuf_Borland: There have been ups. There have been downs. But through it all, you have remained level-headed, driven & tough. To only the 2nd 3-time captain in Ohio State history, thank you for all you have left on the field for the Buckeyes. #BuckeyeSeniorDay #GoBuckeyes pic.twitter.com/OumNlsfCwk

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) December 12, 2020

Because the NCAA granted an additional year of eligibility to all players this year, some of the Buckeyes who were supposed to be seniors this year could be back next year and have the opportunity to go through Senior Day in 2021. Potentially indicating that they plan to return for another year, nine players who are listed as seniors on Ohio State’s roster were not part of Saturday’s virtual Senior Day tributes: Defensive tackle Haskell Garrett, cornerback Marcus Williamson, running back/wide receiver Demario McCall, wide receiver Jaylen Harris and walk-ons Mitch Rossi, Bradley Robinson, Aaron Cox, Corey Rau and Chris Booker.

On the other hand, there will also be Buckeyes who aren’t listed as seniors who have also now played their last games in Ohio Stadium. Fourth-year juniors Wyatt Davis and Josh Myers were both included in Saturday’s Senior Day tributes, likely indicating this will be their final season before leaving for the NFL. Justin Fields, Chris Olave and Shaun Wade are widely expected to go pro after this season, too. Tommy Togiai and Jeremy Ruckert are other juniors who have played well enough to at least have a decision to make.

For now, though, regardless of whether their Ohio State careers will end this season or they’ll be back for 2021, all the Buckeyes are focused on trying to win a Big Ten championship next week, earning a berth in the College Football Playoff and then ideally, winning in the CFP, which would extend their season until Jan. 11. And if they can achieve their ultimate goal of winning the national championship, going out on top would surely make up for all the other moments the outgoing Buckeyes have had to miss in their final seasons.

“I think Chris (Olave) said to the team that we have a limited amount of time with each other, we have like six or something weeks like that with each other (left), so we’re not going to take any moment we have together for granted,” Fields said Tuesday. “We’re just going to take these last few weeks we have and just cherish the moments. Just work hard and just try to be the best team we can be.”