GLENDALE, Ariz.: Billy Price has so much respect for the road Pat Elflein took at Ohio State that he decided to follow the same path.
Price, the Buckeyes’ All-America right guard, said after a 31-0 loss to Clemson Saturday night in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the University of Phoenix Stadium that he will return for his senior season and take over for Elflein at center.
“That’s what the coaches decided. I told them whatever best to help the team,” said Price, a graduate of Austintown Fitch.
Elflein, a three-time all-Big Ten Conference first team selection at guard, switched to center for his final season and won the Rimington Award and was named a unanimous All-American.
“Pat wanted to graduate, he wanted to do this, that and the other and he was able to complete those goals when he came here and I’m looking forward to doing the same thing,” Price said.
“Not really a hard decision. I had some things I wanted to make sure I handled. Graduating was a huge part of it. Looking forward to graduating and making my family proud.”
Price said he wants to “be that rock on the inside” for the Buckeyes.
“The center’s got to be the most educated position on the field, be able to know the offense and represent the offense and keep some stability within the playing field. Pat did that this year. I can’t rave enough about Pat. It’s tough the more I think about it to lose somebody like that,” Price said, his voice cracking as he started to tear up, “just so much that he’s done.”
Hooker undecided
After recording his seventh interception of the season against the Tigers, redshirt sophomore safety Malik Hooker said he hadn’t made up his mind whether he would leave early for the NFL Draft. The deadline for underclassmen to declare is Jan. 16.
“Still got to sit and talk to my family and my coaching staff and try to do what’s best for me,” Hooker said. “If that means coming back next year, that’s fine.”
If he had played his final game, first-year starter Hooker was asked what he took from his time in Columbus.
“Your life can change in one year,” he said. “No matter what’s going on, keep fighting, keep working because you never know when your opportunity is going to come and when it comes make the best of it. A guy that went from playing nothing but special teams to being one of the most known names in college football, your life can change in one year.”
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney called Hooker’s pick with 8:23 left in the second quarter an “unbelievable play.”
J.T.’s future
Quarterbacks coach Tim Beck said he hadn’t talked with redshirt junior J.T. Barrett about whether he will return for senior season.
Asked where he stood on his future, Barrett said, “I didn’t really give it that much thought, but it will be really hard for me to walk away when we just lost 31-0.”
Knox takes over
Elflein and Price praised the job redshirt sophomore Demetrius Knox did after freshman left guard Michael Jordan was injured in the first half.
“He did a great job when he came in. We knew they were going to bring a lot of different stuff and that’s what they did, we just didn’t execute against it very well,” Elflein said.
“Demetrius Knox did a fantastic job, he worked his butt off all week. I’m proud of him,” Price said.
But Price admitted that when a starter that had been in the lineup for 12 consecutive games goes out “you lose your chemistry.”
Barrett was sacked three times and Clemson recorded 11 tackles for losses, including a career-high three by freshman defensive end Clelin Ferrell, named the game’s most valuable defense player.
Nice compliment
Price appreciated what he heard from Clemson senior defensive tackle Carlos Watkins, a first-team All-American, after the game.
“He came up to me and said, ‘You’re one of the best three guys we’ve played, talking about myself and Pat,” Price said. “It’s a confidence booster, knowing all the guys they’ve played, all the tough teams like Louisville and those kind of guys to have that kind of compliment.”
Mimicking LeBron
Ohio State fans took to Twitter angry that Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson did LeBron James’ trademark celebration called “The Silencer,” first seen during his Miami Heat days, after one of his two touchdown runs.
“That’s the little LeBron thing. I’m a huge LeBron fan. I know he likes Ohio State. I grew up watching LeBron and things like that, so I had to do it,” Watson said.