It would be an oversimplification of things to say that junior wide receiver Chris Olave was solely responsible for the night and day difference in the Ohio State pass attack between the Northwestern and Clemson games, but boy, what a difference he made.

Olave missed the Big Ten Championship Game due to COVID-19, and despite a Buckeye win in the affair, junior quarterback Justin Fields couldn’t get anything going through the air without his favorite target.

With Olave reinserted into the lineup in the Sugar Bowl, it was back to business as usual for Fields and the Buckeye offense, but behind the scenes, the month prior to the College Football Playoff matchup was one of considerable emotional turmoil for the California product.

“It's terrible timing, and I know mentally I was messed up, especially catching [COVID-19] towards the end of the season,” Olave said. “I mean, you can't really control that.”