Coach expects Fields to play
Ohio State’s Day says his QB likely to face Alabama
Ohio State coach Ryan Day says he expects Justin Fields to play in the College Football Playoff national championship game against Alabama after the quarterback was banged up during the semifinals.
Day declined to detail Fields’ injury on Monday during a Zoom news conference.
“We don’t get into specifics on injuries,” Day said. “We give our availability report at the end of the week, and that’s always been our policy.”
Day did say that Fields told the coach “he felt better waking up in the morning than he expected.”
Ohio State and Alabama play for the title on Jan. 11 in South Florida.
Fields took a hard hit to the right side of his torso from Clemson linebacker James Skalski in the second quarter of the Sugar Bowl on Saturday. Skalski was ejected for targeting because he led with the crown of his helmet.
Fields missed only one play and finished with six touchdown passes in Ohio State’s 49-28 victory. Fields later said he was aching after every throw following the hit and that he had received a shot from the medical staff to deal with the pain.
Baylor: Jeff Grimes has been named offensive coordinator at Baylor after three seasons in the same position at BYU. Baylor coach Dave Aranda announced the hire Monday. Grimes replaces Larry Fedora, who departed the program after the Bears averaged 310.2 total yards and 23.3 points a game. That point total ranked 98th among 127 Bowl Subdivision teams and the yardage ranked 118th. BYU was in the top 15 in 10 different statistical categories this season including 43.5 points per game (third) and 522 total yards per game (seventh). The Cougars tied for the national lead with 7.84 yards per play and had an Fbs-high 45 plays that gained at least 30 yards. Before going to BYU, Grimes was the offensive line coach and running game coordinator at LSU from 2014-17. Grimes, a Texas native, will also coach Baylor’s tight ends.
Former Baylor quarterback Shawn Bell, going into his fifth season on the Bears’ staff, will switch from tight ends to quarterbacks coach.
Marshall: Coach Doc Holliday is out after 11 seasons with the Thundering Herd after the school said it would not renew his contract. Holliday was named Conference USA coach of the year, but the Thundering Herd lost their final three games of the season after starting 7-0 and moving up to No. 15 in The Associated Press poll. Holliday, 63, went 85-54 at Marshall, including 6-2 in bowl games. His sixyear contract was set to expire June 30.
South Carolina: South Carolina’s Board of Trustees approved more than $4.1 million in salaries for eight assistant coaches on coach Shane Beamer’s first staff.