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Price’s sweet block helped put away Alabama in Sugar Bowl
PRICE’S SWEET BLOCK HELPED OHIO STATE PUT AWAY ALABAMA IN SUGAR BOWL
Music blaring. People dancing. Smiles all around. The Ohio State football team’s locker room after Thursday night’s statement win over top-seeded Alabama in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans was a regular Bourbon Street party. Without the alcohol, of course.
The Buckeyes didn’t need any outside stimulants to feel the euphoria of earning a spot in the first college football playoff championship. But they did get a taste of something head coach Urban Meyer addresses often.
“Coach talks about the taste of confetti,” said starting left guard Billy Price. “You want to taste that.
“We’re one step closer to tasting the best confetti out there.”
The Austintown Fitch graduate wasn’t on the field last year for the Buckeyes’ disappointing Orange Bowl loss to Clemson. However that didn’t prevent the redshirt freshman from experiencing the other end of that taste.
“It was disappointing, because you didn’t have an impact on it,” Price said. “It hurt and that stuck with us all year, all offseason training.
“We talk about anger and the taste of anger in our mouth from what happened. Now, that anger’s not gone yet, but it’s starting to go away.”
The reason it’s not gone yet is because the Buckeyes aren’t done yet. They have a matchup on Jan. 12 with Oregon in the national championship. This time, Price will have his chance to make an impact, much like he did in the semifinal against the Crimson Tide.
Ohio State was trying to hold off Alabama in the fourth quarter when a run to the left was called. Price said his eyes lit up.
“I pull around and my responsibility is I got the first guy past to who we are working to,” he said. “And our tight end, Jeff Heuerman, made a great block so I went inside and cleaned it out. Our wide receivers were blocking their butts off.”
“[Then, I’m] one-on-one with the corner[back] and I feel bad for that guy,” Price said with a grin the size of the hole running back Ezekiel Elliott darted through.
Price’s arms shot in the air as he raced down the field to celebrate his team’s two-touchdown lead on the vaunted Tide defense.
“I’m trying to catch him, Mr. 4.40 40[-yard dash] over there,” he said of Elliott. “It’s just awesome. You want to get down there as fast as possible to celebrate.”
The celebration continued well into the New Orleans morning, but once the Buckeyes return to Columbus it’s back to business. Many players and coaches didn’t know the final score of the day’s first semifinal between Oregon and Florida State. When Meyer learned of the 59-20 beat down the Ducks put on the defending national champions, his reaction was exactly what you’d expect.
“I gotta go,” he joked, in the midst of his post-game press conference. “I gotta go get ready for that one.”
Before Price left the Superdome turf to join the celebration in the locker room, he made sure to find his family amongst the massive Ohio State contingent who weren’t ready for the party to end. His mom, Pam, step-dad, Dave and two younger siblings, Savannah and Andrew, were waving at Price, as he blew them a kiss.
“I have to give a lot of credit to mom,” he said. “She’s done a lot for me in keeping me on the track that I’m on.”
The next stop on that track is AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.