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Quinshon Judkins: Michigan loss, flag planting gave Ohio State 'a spark' in College Football Playoff

IMG_6598by:Nick Kosko•about 10 hours•

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Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Quinshon Judkins ended up taking the Michigan loss in stride when it was all said and done. In fact, it galvanized Ohio State over the course of the next three games.

There’s using it as motivation and then there’s what the Buckeyes did in the College Football Playoff. Ohio State dominated Tennessee and Oregon and then shut down Texas‘ offense in the bracket.


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Now win away, maybe Judkins and Ohio State can thank Michigan for the spark.

“I think in that moment that kind of gave us a little spark,” Judkins said, via Chris Vannini of The Athletic. “Like, definitely, I would say it made us want to go harder man, and realize, okay, like that was super disrespectful. I think it made a lot of guys wake up in that moment. But did anything change about our team?

“I don’t think so. I think we prepared the same way and have the same edge as we did in the beginning of the season. So I think that just made us just really go a little harder.”

After losing the “The Game” to conclude the regular season, head coach Ryan Day looked like a dead man walking. Yes, the Buckeyes still had the most talented roster on paper, but there were concerns if Ohio State could actually make a run with four straight wins.

Like Judkins, Day believed in his squad. And if it all culminates in a national title win over Notre Dame Monday night, Day and the Buckeyes will have ultimate redemption.

“This is really about a lot of things, but also redemption for Ryan Day,” ESPN’s Paul Finebaum said on Get Up. “We all know what the narrative was, and it was real. I know a lot of Ohio State fans want to act like it was the media’s fault, but they were in bars after the Michigan game blaming Ryan Day and wanting him out if he couldn’t turn this thing around, but he did. 

“He admitted over the weekend that he told the team I screwed up. I’m sorry, we will correct it, and that’s exactly what he has done. We talked about Marcus Freeman, Ryan Day winning this thing is very remarkable as well considering where he was just six weeks ago.”