It was third down-and-one for Ohio State with the football resting at the Clemson 24-yard line. Three plays earlier, the Buckeyes intercepted a Deshaun Watson pass and were looking to cash in on the Tigers’ miscue in hopes of setting the stage for how they wanted the 2017 Fiesta Bowl to go.
But what Ohio State did not know is Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell had other things on his mind. Ferrell was thinking back to four years earlier to something his mother said following a recruiting trip to Michigan.
When the 6-foot-5, 265-pound defensive end came back from visiting both Michigan and Michigan State during his sophomore year of high school, he told his mother he was thinking about going to Michigan.