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December 18, 2015In the Hawks’ Nest: Browns – Seahawks Preview
December 18, 2015Another day, another All-America list. The final list, of the consensus All-Americans, is by far the most prestigious. To earn consensus All-American status (which started in 2002), a player must be a first-team selection on at least three of the following All-America lists: the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Associated Press, Sporting News, and Walter Camp Football Foundation.
On Thursday, the NCAA announced that Ohio State offensive tackle Taylor Decker and defensive end Joey Bosa were named consensus All-Americans.
Expected to be the Buckeyes’ lone selection, Decker was named a first-team All-American by five outlets (three of which are recognized by the NCAA): AFCA, Walter Camp, and the AP. (The others, Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports, are not officially recognized).
Since Sporting News selected Bosa as just a second-team All-American, the junior was only named to the first team on two lists. But because there weren’t four defensive linemen named to at least three All-America teams, Bosa’s being on two lists was enough for him to earn consensus status. He made the cut over Texas A&M’s Myles Garrett, who was also selected on two of the lists.
Bosa became the first repeat consensus All-American at Ohio State since James Laurinaitis did so in 2007-08. The last three Buckeyes to be named two-time consensus All-Americans before Laurinaitis were A.J. Hawk, Mike Nugent, and Orlando Pace. Ohio State now has the most consensus All-Americans (81) of any Big Ten school.
The Buckeyes four overall first-team All-Americans in 2015 are the most first-team selections they have had since 2008, when James Laurinaitis, Kirk Barton, Vernon Gholston, and Malcolm Jenkins all nabbed first-team honors.
Running back Ezekiel Elliott wasn’t named a first-team All-American by any reputable outlet even though, outside of one bad game against Michigan State, he was one of the best running backs in the country.
Via cleveland.com, here are all of Ohio State’s All-Americans in 2015. (Italics denote consensus picks.)
First-team selections
Taylor Decker, Sr., OT: Walter Camp, Associated Press, AFCA, SI, CBS Sports
Joey Bosa, Jr., DE: Walter Camp, AFCA, SI.com, CBS Sports, ESPN
Vonn Bell, Jr., S: Associated Press, The Sporting News, SI
Adolphus Washington, Sr., DT: The Sporting News
Second-team selections
Ezekiel Elliott, Jr., RB: Associated Press, FWAA, SI
Pat Elflein, Jr., OG: Associated Press, SI.com
Darron Lee, Soph., LB: SI
Raekwon McMillan, Soph., LB: Walter Camp