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One statistic shows just how dominant Ohio State RB Trey Sermon was in B1G title game
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Trey Sermon was a beast yesterday for Ohio State in the Buckeye’s Big Ten championship game victory over Northwestern, rushing for 331 yards and breaking the program record held by 1995 Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George.
With quarterback Justin Fields wallowing with an injured wrist and totally ineffective as a passer, Sermon took over and almost won the game himself for the Buckeyes, scoring two touchdowns in the 22-10 victory to go along with the bewildering yardage totals.
Watching the game it felt like each of the 29 times Sermon was handed the ball he broke through the line and found himself barreling over Wildcats in the open field. It turns out appearances were close to reality as Sermon was not just the day’s leading rusher, which he was by 153 yards, he also would’ve been champion Saturday’s leading rusher if they only counted his yards after first contact with Northwestern defenders. Sermon had 196 on the ground after meeting his first resistance, an astonishing number that might stand in the record books for a long itme.
Pro Football Focus College edition has the statistics.
Most rushing yards in Championship Week
— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 20, 2020
1. Trey Sermon, Ohio St – 331
2. Trey Sermon after contact – 196
3. Najee Harris, Bama – 178
4. Spencer Brown, UAB – 147
5. Travis Etienne, Clemson – 124 pic.twitter.com/sPhnhZMrXt
Sermon saved the day for the Buckeyes and likely gave his team the push it needed to make the four-team College Football Playoff.
Mark Schipper is a reporter, sportswriter, and aspiring novelist living in Chicago, Illinois.