For Ohio State Buckeyes standout linebacker Jack Sawyer, the last 48 hours have been quite a “whirlwind” if you ask him.

On Monday night, he helped the Buckeyes cap a resilient College Football Playoff run with a national championship victory over Notre Dame. And you can expect what happened when the team returned to Columbus, Ohio.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” Sawyer told Pakinomist Digital before his celebratory “shift” at Raising Cane’s in Columbus with his star quarterback teammate Will Howard. “Obviously it’s been a whirlwind after the game when we first got back to Columbus. Now it’s maybe even more of a whirlwind, but we’ve had a lot of fun with it and so glad we could get the job done. to Coach Day and the city of Columbus.”

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Sawyer pulled up to Raising Cane’s early Wednesday morning with “already 100 people outside,” all waiting to praise the two Buckeyes for their contributions to a championship season.

But while the Buckeyes’ festivities continue, the end of the season means both Sawyer and Howard are poised to become NFL Draft prospects as they aim for their transition to professional football.

Sawyer’s draft stock soared when he had a tremendous CFP run, including a strip-sack, scoop-and-score against his former Ohio State roommate, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, to seal the Buckeyes’ victory in the Cotton Bowl for to cement a spot in the national title game.

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While his motor skills on the field and work ethic off are traits teams will look for during the scouting process, Sawyer knows his faith will continue to play a big role in what happens next.

“That’s all for us,” Sawyer said of his faith, bringing Howard into the fold as well. “It’s a number in our lives when you put God first like that and really seek to grow with Him and follow His plan. He’s going to open so many doors for you that you’d never think you could achieve otherwise .

“For me and Will, and really everyone on the team, our belief has been the biggest thing that has kept us up and kept us going after a couple of tough losses in the season.”

One of those losses was a massive upset of the Michigan Wolverines, the Buckeyes’ bitter rival, whom Sawyer naturally refers to as “Team Up North,” on Nov. 30. It was a loss in Columbus that led to an on-field brawl between the two teams, with Sawyer seen ripping a Michigan flag away from midfield after the Wolverines wanted to celebrate their win even more.

At the time, it was a disaster for head coach Ryan Day and the Buckeyes. They were unable to get a shot at the Big Ten title, and many questioned whether they had what it took to make the CFP work.

Jack Sawyer poses with football at Columbus Raising Cane. (Breeder Cane’s)

But Ohio State showed what resilience looks like in the face of adversity, especially with a lot of naysayers who believed the Buckeyes would once again be unable to take their talented team to the title game.

“We knew we had to get to work and fix the things we needed to and attack it as hard as we could,” he said. “That’s exactly what we did. No one saw the work we were doing behind the scenes.”

For Sawyer personally, he entered his next game after losing to Michigan and had 1.5 sacks with two passes defensed and five total tackles in the game against Tennessee in the first round of the CFP. He then had two sacks and three passes defensed in the Rose Bowl against Oregon, followed by his 83-yard return for a touchdown against the Longhorns.

“I think it just taught me a lot about life,” Sawyer said of that title run. “It’s taught me how things aren’t always going to go your way, but if you keep trusting God and keep fighting and keep getting up every day and keep swinging, eventually you’ll come out the other end .

“I think that’s something that I want to take with me to the next level and it’s something that I hope teams see in me. No matter what, I’m going to give it my all, keep fighting and keep grow every day.”

Once again, it’s time to celebrate after a long, hard season for Sawyer, his teammates and his coaches. But the NFL Scouting Combine is right around the corner, and soon Sawyer will likely hear his name called in April when the NFL Draft starts.

Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Jack Sawyer (33) celebrates after defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)

Whichever team puts his name on their cards, he knows he’ll give it his all to make an impact like he did in Columbus. But he won’t stress any step forward as his faith will remain a constant as he looks forward to his next big life moment.

“All things are possible with God and I will continue to trust in His plan,” Sawyer concluded. “Like I said, he blessed us far more than we could ever thank him enough for.”