Marvin Harrison Jr. dominates first half during Ohio State’s loss to Georgia in CFP semifinal

ATLANTA — From the first offensive snap of the College Football Playoff semifinal between Georgia and Ohio State until the final whistle at Mercedes Benz Stadium, there was no doubt who the most athletically gifted player on the field was.

The No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes were narrowly defeated by the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs, who scored 18 fourth-quarter points to fuel a 42-41 win, despite an offensive explosion from future first-round quarterback C.J. Stroud, who passed for 348 yards and four touchdowns in the Peach Bowl Saturday night.

Philadelphia’s own Marvin Harrison Jr. made his mark on the game in a big way through two quarters before exiting the game later with a possible head injury.

» READ MORE: Marvin Harrison Jr.’s attention to detail is propelling his Ohio State legacy

He caught the night’s first pass and the first touchdown, easily winning his matchup with Bulldogs defensive back Kelee Ringo time and time again. Ringo is likely to be taken within the first two rounds of the NFL draft.

The former St. Joseph’s Prep star is the best wide receiver in college football right now. That’s not a knee-jerk reaction, nor hyperbole. The way the sophomore glides down the field for the Buckeyes, tracking the football from the other side of the field coupled with the effortless athleticism to make diving catches, is unrivaled by any player in the nation.

Harrison amassed five receptions for 106 yards and two scores by the end of the first half.

However, all of that first-half production is in the rearview mirror now, because Harrison never finished the game. After suffering a violent collision late in the third quarter on a potential touchdown in the back of the end zone, Harrison was held out of a critical fourth quarter as Georgia erased a 14-point deficit.

Postgame, Harrison said he felt “fine” and said the play that knocked him out of the game was “just a football hit.”

“I wanted to be out there with my team, but I respect the trainer’s decision because, at the end of the day, they’re just looking out for my health,” said Harrison, who says he attempted to get back in the game before the training staff took his helmet away.

» READ MORE: Defending champion Georgia will face TCU for the college football title

The loss of Harrison down the stretch proved crucial, as the Buckeyes offense managed two field goals over the final 16 minutes of the game without him. Buckeyes coach Ryan Day agreed with that sentiment, while also praising Stroud for remaining poised in a wild second half — one without his go-to receiver.

“To say that losing Marv didn’t have an impact on the game, it absolutely did,” said Day. “What this guy [Stroud] did and the way he competed in the second half with all those things coming at him, I just can’t say enough. I’m so proud of the way he played.”

Said Harrison of his performance on Saturday night: “Coaches trusted me to make plays, and I don’t think I made enough plays in the game really to help the team win, I felt I didn’t perform my best today, but I’ll go back to the drawing board next year and try to get better.”

The loss was bittersweet in more ways than one for Harrison, who finished the 2022 season with 77 receptions, 1,263 yards, and 14 touchdowns, tied for second in a season in Buckeyes history with David Boston, who also had 14 receiving touchdowns in 1997.

» READ MORE: Could Marvin Harrison be an NFL Draft target for the Eagles?

Watching the game from the sideline in the final frame, Harrison saw his teammate and quarterback, Stroud, likely play his final game in an Ohio State uniform. The two have grown a relationship on and off the field, something the Philly native cherishes.

“I’m definitely blessed to play with a quarterback like him and have a friend at the end of the day, on and off the field,” Harrison said.

“I thought [Stroud] gave it his all, and for all the things [said] about he can’t run, he’s not tough enough to run, I think he showed that today, that he can do anything he wants on the football field and he’s such a great leader for this team.”

The season may be over, but what Harrison Jr. did in a little less than 13 full games set a foundation for the player that he could become. In a previous interview with The Inquirer in which Harrison discussed his attention to detail to his craft, one quote stuck out most about his work ethic and approach to the game.

On what his wideouts coach Brian Hartline instilled in him, Harrison said: “Every day I have that mindset of ‘What would the best receiver in the country look like at practice today?’ If somebody were to ask, or a scout ever came, someone who never played football would have come to watch practice, what would the best receiver in the country look like today?”

In many ways, Harrison may have answered his own question with a performance to savor. The result may not have gone in Ohio State’s favor, but it appears Harrison’s College Football Playoff debut will be the first of many big stages he plays on throughout his playing career.