Published Dec 15, 2020
Fields named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, QB of the Year
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Griffin Strom  •  DottingTheEyes
Team Writer
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@GriffinStrom3

For the sixth time in the past nine years, an Ohio State player has been named the Big Ten Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year.

Junior quarterback Justin Fields was announced as the recipient of the honor for the second-straight season on Tuesday, which makes him just the second Buckeye to ever win the award twice, and the first since Braxton Miller in 2012 and ‘13.

Leading the Buckeyes to an undefeated 5-0 record in the regular season and a berth in Saturday’s Big Ten Championship despite three game cancellations, Fields is No. 1 in the conference in completion percentage (78.1), passing touchdowns (15) and average passing yards per game (281.4). Fields’ Big Ten-best passer efficiency rating of 196.1 is nearly 60 points higher than the next best quarterback in the conference.

Despite playing three fewer games than some teams in the Big Ten, Fields’ 1,407 total passing yards remain No. 4 in the conference overall.

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Recent OSU Big Ten OPOTY winners
YearPlayerPosition

2020

Justin Fields

QB

2019

Justin Fields

QB

2018

Dwayne Haskins

QB

2015

Ezekiel Elliott

RB

2013

Braxton Miller

QB

2012

Braxton Miller

QB

With Dwayne Haskins winning the honor in 2018, this year marks the third-straight season in which a Buckeye quarterback has won the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year award, and before that, former Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott was the last Buckeye to win the award in 2015.

It was not the only award Fields won on Tuesday, though. The former Georgia Bulldog was also given the Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year award, an honor that has now been won by Ohio State’s starter under center for five straight seasons, and eight of the past nine years.

Fields won the award in 2019 after Haskins the year before, and J.T. Barrett was named the Big Ten’s top quarterback in 2017, ‘16 and ‘14. Prior to Barrett’s first win, Miller won the award in both 2012 and ‘13, coinciding with his distinction as the conference’s top offensive player.

With 56 passing touchdowns in his Ohio State career, Fields is tied for fourth-most in Buckeye history with Joe Germaine, and sits behind only Terrelle Pryor, Bobby Hoying and Barrett.

If Fields throws two or more touchdown passes in Saturday’s Big Ten Championship Game, he would pass Pryor and Hoying to claim sole ownership of the second-most passing touchdowns in school history.

Fields stands at fifth place in school history with 71 total touchdowns, and could surpass Pryor for fourth all-time if he finds the end zone four more times this season.