Week 11 Deep Coverage: Browns vs. Steelers Game Preview
November 14, 2019On the dominant Buckeyes, ‘Maddening’ Browns, and surprisingly fun Cavs – The Nail in the Coffin, Episode 163
November 14, 2019What a whirlwind of a week it was for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Last Friday morning, news broke that Chase Young was suspended indefinitely for violating an NCAA violation, one in which he supposedly received money from a family friend to pay for his girlfriend to attend the bowl game last season. The key thing here is that the star defensive end paid the loan back. Then, the scarlet and gray decided to dominant Maryland, 73-14, in a game that the starters only played the first half.
Heading into this weekend’s game against Rutgers, the NCAA announced on Wednesday that Young will only face a two-game suspension, meaning that after he already sat out the game against the Terrapins, Young will return for the game against the Penn State and then Michigan to close out the regular season.
So, why does this all matter outside of the fact that Ohio State is without the most dominant player in college football? It’s tough enough for a defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy (only Charles Woodson has done so since the award debuted in 1935), Young missing any time would greatly impact his odds, in fact, it would basically mean that he’s out of the running for it.
Given that Young is only out two games, he can still possibly make it to New York for the ceremony as a top-three candidate, but the chances of him winning the most prestigious individual award in college football are now slim to none.
With that said, Justin Fields’ odds benefited from Young’s fall, as the quarterback is now No. 4 in ESPN’s latest Heisman Watch:
Notable: It was just another day at the office for Fields, who threw for three TDs and ran for another — all in the first half — in a blowout win over Maryland. He threw for 200 yards as Ohio State shredded the Terps’ defense and stayed undefeated on the year.
Quotable: “We went through a little adversity this week,” coach Ryan Day said. “Adversity reveals character, and our character was at the forefront of this game. I felt we came out and showed we’re made of something special here.”
Due to missing the game against Maryland and now the upcoming game at Rutgers, Young fell from No. 2 to No. 5 in the latest rankings:
Notable: Young sat out OSU’s blowout win over Maryland Saturday because of a possible NCAA violation. The latest news is that the Buckeyes expect Young to be handed a four-game suspension for accepting a loan from a family friend. Any absence puts a huge dent in Young’s Heisman candidacy, which was picking up steam the past two weeks.
Quotable: “Chase Young has proven what a great player he is. … He’s the best player in [the 2020 NFL] draft.” — ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.
Young may no longer really be in the Heisman race, but Ohio State will get a healthy, anxious, and angry defensive end when he returns, which only means bad things for opposing offenses. Good luck, Penn State, Michigan, and whoever else lies ahead for the Buckeyes.
Heisman Watch:
- QB Joe Burrow, LSU (50 points, 10 first-place votes): 236-of-299, 3,198 yards, 33 touchdowns, four interceptions; 66 carries, 189 yards, three touchdowns
- QB Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma (31, zero): 151-of-206, 2,742 yards, 24 touchdowns, four interceptions; 125 carries, 869 yards, 15 touchdowns
- QB Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (28, zero): 166-of-234, 2,584 yards, 31 touchdowns, three interceptions; 21 carries, 25 yards, two touchdowns
- QB Justin Fields, Ohio State (16, zero): 144-of-211, 1,859 yards, 27 touchdowns, one interception; 81 carries, 347 yards, 10 touchdowns
- DE Chase Young, Ohio State (12, zero): 29 tackles, 13.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, 15 tackles for loss, one pass defended
- RB Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State (five, zero): 236 carries, 1,604 yards, 18 touchdowns; nine catches, 40 yards
- RB Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin (two, zero): 208 carries, 1,259 yards, 15 touchdowns; 18 catches, 151 yards, four touchdowns
- QB Justin Herbert, Oregon (one, zero): 200-of-288, 2,329 yards, 24 touchdowns, two interceptions; 32 carries, four yards, one touchdown
- QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson (one, zero): 169-of-252, 2,303 yards, 23 touchdowns, eight interceptions; 58 carries, 321 yards, seven touchdowns
Bovada‘s top-10 Heisman odds:
- Joe Burrow: 2-to-19
- Justin Fields, Jalen Hurts: 7-to-1
- Tua Tagovailoa: 20-to-1
- Jonathan Taylor: 70-to-1
- J.K. Dobbins, D’Andre Swift, Jerry Jeudy: 100-to-1
- Chase Young, Justin Herbert: 125-to-1
- Ian Book: 150-to-1
- Trevor Lawrence, Shea Patterson: 200-to-1
Some key things to notice in the odds:
- After leading LSU to a win over Alabama in Tuscaloosa with a dominant performance, Burrow is the clear favorite to win the Heisman Trophy and it’s really not even close.
- Don’t look now, but Fields jumped Tua and is now tied for second. While Young’s suspension obviously stinks for the defensive end, it seemed to have helped Ohio State’s quarterback in terms of the Heisman.
- With his two-game suspension, Young’s odds took quite a big hit this week.
- Dobbins’ odds dropped a bit as well. I guess that’s what happens when you only play the first half of the game.
- Remember when Lawrence was the favorite to win the award prior to the season? He’s now barely even on the list.
Previous Heisman Watches: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10