MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - JANUARY 11: Master Teague III #33 of the Ohio State Buckeyes rushes for an eight yard touchdown during the first quarter of the College Football Playoff National Championship game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Hard Rock Stadium on January 11, 2021 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)When Trey Sermon went down with an early injury during Monday’s College Football Playoff National Championship, the Ohio State Buckeyes turned to Master Teague to handle the backfield responsibilities.He answered the call almost immediately.
The redshirt-sophomore ballcarrier quickly made his imprint on the game as he dashed for an eight-yard touchdown in the first quarter. The score knotted up the contest at seven as Ohio State responded to a hot Alabama start.
The touchdown marked Teague’s seventh of the year and it couldn’t have come at a more important time. Not to mention that the score earned him some attention from another great Ohio State running back.
Former Buckeyes star and current Cowboys ballcarrier Ezekiel Elliott took to Twitter to dish out a compliment to the young Ohio State running back. “@MasterTeagueIII Best name in sports!” Elliott tweeted during Monday’s national championship.
@MasterTeagueIII Best name in sports!
— Ezekiel Elliott (@EzekielElliott) January 12, 2021
The records 4 go get it @MasterTeagueIII
— Ezekiel Elliott (@EzekielElliott) January 12, 2021
Unfortunately for Elliott and the Buckeyes, Alabama quickly nullified Teague’s score. Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith caught his 21st touchdown of the year to put the Crimson Tide up 14-7.
The 2020 campaign has been a rollercoaster for Teague, who’s seen just about everything this season. While he dealt with a nagging injury for the latter half of the year, Sermon stepped up and took over the starting job. Now, Teague will be thrust back into the role and will get another opportunity to show off his skill on a national stage. But Teague will need to do more than just score a first quarter touchdown. Ohio State ruled out Sermon early on in the contest as he nursed a collarbone injury.
The former Oklahoma Sooner left the stadium in the second quarter to go to a nearby hospital.
Tune-in to ESPN to see if Teague and Justin Fields can lead Ohio State to an upset victory over Alabama in the CFP National Championship.
