COLUMBUS, Ohio -- It was just last week that Urban Meyer was singing the praises of Chris Olave, who figured to be in line for increased playing time following a foot injury suffered by Austin Mack.
“Boy, he’s going to be good, he’s way ahead of schedule,” Meyer said of the freshman wide receiver. “He’s going to be a fine player.”
It didn't take long for Olave to make good on his head coach's proclamation.
As 10th-ranked Ohio State pulled an upset over No. 4 Michigan on Saturday, no non-quarterback contributed as much as Olave. In the first half, the 6-foot-1, 175-pound wideout hauled in two touchdown passes -- each from 24 yards out -- as the Buckeyes jumped out to a 24-19 halftime lead.
Although Olave wouldn't catch another pass for the remainder of the game, that didn't stop him from continuing to contribute.
With 4:41 remaining in the third quarter and Ohio State leading 27-19, Michigan lined up for a punt after quarterback Shea Patterson misfired on a throw to tight end Zach Gentry. But before Wolverines punter Will Hart could get a clean kick, Olave burst up the middle, blocking the punt into the arms of classmate Sevyn Banks, who promptly returned the ball 33 yards for a score.
Olave's big special teams play proved to be the start of a run that ultimately resulted in a 62-39 Ohio State victory. With that, the Buckeyes clinched a spot next week's Big Ten Championship Game, keeping their hopes of making the College Football Playoff alive for the time being.
In a rivalry defined by its stars, it was Olave's whose shined brightest, even though he didn't enter Saturday with such status. Rather, through the first 11 games of his college career, the former 3-star recruit had recorded just 5 catches for 70 yards.
You wouldn't have known it, however, by watching Olave on Saturday. On the Buckeyes' opening offensive drive, the San Marcos, Calif. native beat defensive back Brandon Watson on a crossing pattern, taking the ball into the end zone for his first of two 24-yard scores.
The second came a quarter later when he once again beat Watson -- this time in the end zone -- nabbing the ball out of the air to stretch Ohio State's lead to 14-6.
And then there was the blocked punt, which was perhaps Olave's most fitting standout play on Saturday considering most of his playing time this season has come on special teams. Making the most of opportunities has already come to define Olave's career in Columbus, which came to be when Buckeyes offensive coordinator Ryan Day noticed him while recruiting his high school quarterback, Jack Tuttle.
"He came in as a freshman and you could see all the talent and skill in the world," Haskins said of Olave, who was ranked as the No. 68 receiver in the 2018 class. "He didn't have the opportunity to play much this year, but it didn't matter. He's just a smooth, silky receiver who makes a lot of plays."
With the Big Ten title game a week away and three years of eligibility still ahead, Olave's story with the Buckeyes is just getting started.
"A monster," Meyer said of Olave's performance Saturday. "Buckeye Nation, get used to that one."
But regardless of what he does for the rest of his college career, the undersized and under-recruited wideout from California will always have a place in Ohio State-Michigan lore.
