December is here and the NFL season is entering its stretch of the schedule where each week holds likely playoff implications.
Mike Vrabel’s Tennessee Titans lost a 41-35 game to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, dropping the Titans to 8-4 in the AFC South while the Browns rose to 9-3.
Several Buckeyes in New Orleans clinched a playoff berth on Sunday, marking the Saints’ fourth-consecutive year doing so.
In 2020, December also means Ohio State football on Saturdays. The Buckeyes took care of business against Michigan State on Saturday, and former players who donned scarlet and gray kept things going on Sunday.
Here are several Buckeyes standouts for Week 13.
Michael Thomas
Drew Brees or Taysom Hill, it doesn’t matter to Michael Thomas.
The fifth-year Saints receiver set a new season-high this week against the Atlanta Falcons. Thomas caught nine receptions for 105 yards, and those catches helped the former Buckeye set yet another receiving record.
In his 69th-career game, Thomas caught the 500th reception of his career, yet another milestone he’s hit rather quickly.
Six of Thomas’ nine catches on Sunday were for nine yards or more, including an 18-yard haul on a third-and-17 play early in the second quarter.
Thomas has had the best games of his season against the Falcons as just two weeks ago he caught nine passes for 104 yards.
One thing that’s eluded Thomas this season, however, is the end zone. He hasn’t scored a touchdown in any of the six games he’s played.
Ohio State note: Thomas caught over 100 receiving yards in just two games as a Buckeye, coming just two weeks apart in 2015 on Oct. 10 and 24.
Chase Young
The ferocious Washington Football Team defensive line came up with several big stops against the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday afternoon, but perhaps none bigger than one from this year’s No. 2 overall pick.
Young, who entered the game with 4.5 sacks this season and 25 total tackles, squared off against Steelers left tackle Alejandro Villanueva for most of the game. When the Steelers approached the goal line with 5:38 left in the second quarter, they tried for a touchdown on fourth and goal.
Steelers running back - and Columbus native - Benny Snell Jr. got the handoff from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and ran toward the end zone.
On the near side of the line, Young flew past his blocker and charged toward the football. He caught Snell’s ankles, stopping him short of a touchdown and giving Washington the football.
The Football Team pulled off a 23-17 win over the Steelers to give Pittsburgh its first loss of the season. Young finished with two tackles in the game.
Ohio State note: Young was held to just two or fewer tackles in 16 games during his Buckeyes career, and the lone game where he didn’t record a tackle came at Michigan in 2019.
Sam Hubbard tackles a lot - and Vonn Bell scoops a fumble
Last season, the 1-13 Cincinnati Bengals took the 3-11 Miami Dolphins into overtime after scoring 23 points in the fourth quarter, but dropped the contest 38-35.
This season, the 2-8-1 Bengals returned to Miami to contest the 7-4 Dolphins, who featured a new quarterback challenge for the Cincinnati defense in rookie Tua Tagovailoa.
Hubbard was among the most active defenders in the game, recording a season-high 10 tackles and the second-most on the team. Seven of the third-year defensive end's tackles came in the second half, including four in the third quarter.
The former Buckeyes captain stopped running back Myles Gaskin on third and one late in the third quarter, leading to a fourth-and-one play during which Tagovailoa converted. Also, Hubbard tackled Gaskin on the play before the running back fumbled, allowing former Buckeye Vonn Bell to recover the football.
Hubbard has recorded at least seven tackles in his last two games.
Ohio State note: The most total tackles Hubbard recorded in a single game during his Buckeyes career was six, done in four games. He also was named "Team MVP" in 2017 and was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, one for each year in the Ohio State program.
ALSO: Bell recovered two fumbles as a Buckeye, including a 14-yard scoop and score in 2015 against Hawaii.
Baltimore and Dallas to play Tuesday
The Ravens experienced a COVID-19 outbreak several weeks ago that forced their Week 12 matchup with Pittsburgh to get pushed to last Wednesday. Quarterback and reigning MVP Lamar Jackson was activated from the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Monday.
Watch J.K Dobbins and Ezekiel Elliott carry the football when the Baltimore Ravens host the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday night, with kickoff at 8:05.
Baltimore leads the all-time series 4-1.
Ohio State note: Dobbins and Elliott combined to rush for 8,420 yards in their Buckeye careers.
BONUS: Dobbins is the only one of the two who rushed for at least one touchdown and caught another in the same game as a Buckeye, doing so four times. Elliott did not have such a game at Ohio State.
