Trey Sermon’s touchdown celebration wasn’t scripted before the season, nor was it planned out prior to kickoff on Saturday. Rather, when the Oklahoma transfer running back pointed at his wrist as if it were a watch, indicating “it’s about time,” it was a spur of the moment action born out of the circumstances of his season thus far.

It was Sermon’s first trip to the end zone as a Buckeye, and considering Saturday’s win against Michigan State was the second-to-last game of Ohio State’s regular season schedule in the Big Ten, the late timing of it would have shocked more than a few people that entered this year with high hopes for Sermon.

Not least of which is Sermon himself, whose return back to elite form has taken longer than anticipated, although he never lost hope that it would happen at some point.

“I definitely felt like it was gonna happen,” Sermon said after the game Saturday. “Each week I just felt like I was gradually getting better, getting more in sync with the offensive line and just getting used to playing with those guys.”