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Of course, Justin Fields should have slipped, because putting yourself in danger the way you did Friday night will make you a lot worse in the NFL, more hurt than when Clemson LB James Skalski ducked his head and almost broke his ribs in the middle of a run in the second quarter with a hit that gave Skalski a debatable ejection for aiming.
There will come a time, over and over, and over the years, when Justin Fields will be reminded that when you are the face of an NFL franchise, when you play for money, it is critical that you avoid contributing if the old college tries, discretion is the best part of the value, and you better control your competitive streak in the vicinity of bigger and faster bloodthirsty predators with bad intentions.
But this was the national semifinal of the College Football Playoff, and this was a holster-to-holster duel against the great Trevor Lawrence.
The NFL will nod and understand completely, and will remember Justin Fields more for how he got to know the moment and looked at Lawrence and led the state of Ohio to a 49-28 demolition at Clemson’s Sugar Bowl in New Orleans and a national championship with Nick Saban’s Alabama.
All Fields did (22 for 28, 385 yards) was to laugh at the pain and throw six touchdown passes. Pumps dropped. Precision, leadership and willingness to win at the best.
This does not mean that Justin Fields will give the Jacksonville Jaguars a break with the No. 1 overall choice. No way, no way.
It means Justin Fields may have taken a break from Jets GM Joe Douglas with the second choice, if he and Adam Gase’s successor decide they need a successor to Sam Darnold.
The boy sure looked like someone’s dream field.
That successor would be Fields or Zach Wilson of BYU.
What if Douglas and the next coach decide to build around Darnold?
Well, the cost for choice number 2 overall has just gone up for a team desperate for quarterback who will covet Justin Fields.
This was Justin Fields’ testing ground after a couple of underperforming performances against Indiana (3 INTs) and Northwestern (2 INTs), who questioned his ability to process effectively.
This was Justin Fields’ big and brilliant stage to make Clemson coach Dabo Swinney look silly for disrespecting the Buckeyes when he voted them 11th.
Forgive Swinney and defensive coordinator Brent Venables if they had flashbacks of Joe Burrow destroying them (31 from 49 to 463 yards and 5 TDs, 58 running yards and 1 TD running) in LSU’s national championship win by 42-25 in January past.
Fields had his right side sprayed by the crown of Skalski’s helmet. He was on his back on the lawn of the Superdome and stayed there for an agonizing minute.
There was no way Justin Fields would be beaten. Or out.
He walked to the bank. He made a face. He missed a move. When he returned, he immediately fired a 9-yard TD pass to WR Chris Olave. He was examined in the medical tent. He was not leaving. He finished the first half at 16 out of 18 for 223 yards and 4 TDs. No one was talking about the right thumb he twisted against Northwestern.
There was an interception in the end zone at the beginning of the third quarter.
And not long after that, a 55-yard TD for Olave that reached Ohio State 42, Clemson 21.
And then: a rainbow for Jameson Williams for a 45-yard tanker who made Ohio State 49, Clemson 21.
Six TD passes.
Six incompleteness.
Second loss in Trevor Lawrence’s career.
The second overall choice at stake for Justin Fields.
Fields of dreams. To someone.