COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Following Ohio State’s 45-24 win over Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship, the Buckeyes celebrated the way most college teams would.

Holding up trophies, doing interviews, screaming about how nobody believed in your team, the usual spiel. But while all of that was going on, one person quietly got dressed and made his way out of the locker room before any reporter could get to him.

Freshman quarterback Tate Martell is already a household name for a lot of Ohio State fans, and he’s not started a single game. He was an All-American in high school while leading Bishop Gorman (Nev.) High School to three straight national championships and a 45-0 record from 2014-16. He was featured on the Netflix original “QB1: Beyond the Lights," and came to Columbus with all the hype.

After Martell took a redshirt year, many expected to see him used in some capacity during the 2018 season, but that didn’t necessarily go as planned.

Sophomore Dwayne Haskins won the starting job in the spring and turned his first season as a starter into a Heisman Trophy campaign. But while Haskins' arm may be the best Urban Meyer has ever coached, his mobility was lacking, leaving room for Martell to have a role. He could be a wildcat quarterback of sorts because of his ability to make plays with his legs in ways Haskins could not.

Week after week, Meyer said he wanted Martell on the field, but what became known as the “Tate Martell Package” never seemed to work.

“This was Dwayne’s year,” Martell said. “I was never worried about a thing. We’ll see how it ends up playing out (next year).”

The problem was that Haskins' talents at the position was so different than any other quarterbacks under Meyer that it forced Meyer and offensive coordinator Ryan Day to spend much of the season adjusting to Haskins' skill set, and in the final two weeks, it succeeded brilliantly. Haskins went a combined 54-of-72 with 895 yards and 11 touchdowns against Michigan and Northwestern.

Everyone expects Haskins to enter the 2019 NFL Draft, which will give Ohio State the chance to go back to what’s worked for Meyer for years with Martell under center.

Except Meyer will be gone. The new head coach, Day spent an entire season putting in place an offense that favored pocket passers and already has one on the roster with another on the way in 2020.

Still, Martell made it clear that he has no intention of leaving Ohio State.

“I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying right here,” Martell said. “This is where I want to be. I’m going to play here.”

There’s no guarantee that Martell will get an offense geared specifically for him if he is named the starter in 2019. He won’t be a fifth-year senior with years of experience under his belt. He’ll be the guy in his first year as a starter playing for a guy who’s in his first year as head coach.

His only benefit going into the spring will be that he was able to witness both Barrett and Haskins lead Ohio State to Big Ten championships.

“Dwayne made me a better passer, just having to compete with him every day,” Martell said. “Now it’s like second nature. I go out there and it’s easy for me at practice and everything.”

Martell isn’t new to success as a football player. He is new to not being the center of his team’s success. Martell said that it didn’t affect him not being on the field this season because he knew Haskins' talents.

Now with Haskins most likely headed to the next level, Martell knows that the possibilities are endless.

“I prepare like I’m a starter every week,” Martell said. “Stay ready and you don’t have to get ready.”