J.T. Tuimoloau injury: Ohio State DL offers insight on the situation ahead of the Notre Dame showdown

J.T. Tuimoloau has been an integral piece of the Ohio State Buckeyes defense as they powered through the College Football Playoff. Despite getting banged up in the Buckeyes' 28-14 win over Texas on Jan. 10, it appears that Tuimoloau will suit up to play Notre Dame for a national title on Monday.

Tuimoloau paces Ohio State with 11.5 sacks this season. With an unforgettable performance against the Fighting Irish, there's an outside chance he could tie Chase Young's program record for sacks in a season (16.5 in 2019).

"This is the national championship," Tuimoloau told Cleveland.com on Saturday. "Can't take any moment for granted."

Especially considering that this will likely be J.T. Tuimoloau's final game wearing an Ohio State uniform. Along with edge rusher mate Jack Sawyer, he returned this season to accomplish a few goals the team set for itself. Two of those three goals — beat Michigan and win the Big 10 championship — are no longer attainable. The final objective — winning a national crown — remains.

The Buckeyes have made offenses uncomfortable for the entirety of this College Football Playoff. After beating Tennessee at home to rebound from a heartbreaking defeat to the Wolverines, J.T. Tuimoloau and his unit confounded veteran Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Meanwhile, the Ohio State offense raced out to an insurmountable 34-0 lead.

In the Buckeyes' Cotton Bowl semifinal win over the Longhorns, J.T. Tuimoloau suffered what he likens to an ankle sprain typically seen on the basketball hardwood.

"When it first happened, I felt pain," Tuimoloau said. "I started just praying. Just praying and just hoping it wasn't anything serious."

J.T. Tuimoloau's significance for Ohio State in the national championship

It all starts up front for Ohio State's defense, and J.T. Tuimoloau is a big part of that equation. A former five-star recruit, Tuimoloau figures to be a second- or third-round draft choice in April, but a standout performance on Monday, along with a strong showing during the evaluation process, could boost his draft projection.

The Buckeyes are a motivated bunch, hoping to cap off a memorable season by winning it all. They're favored going into the matchup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but Notre Dame sports a strong rushing attack spearheaded by Jeremiyah Love and a saavy signal-caller in Riley Leonard.

Ohio State will want to have its full complement of players as it reaches for some hardware to bring back to Columbus.

"When you got as talented a guys as we have up front, a four-man pressure is feeling like a six-man pressure to the quarterback," Tuimoloau's teammate, linebacker Sonny Styles said.

Against the Volunteers and Ducks, that defensive front gave the quarterbacks of those teams less than 3.5 seconds on average to get rid of the ball.