Heisman Trophy Power Rankings, Week 9: Tua’s injury hurts chances

Ohio State had to play on a Friday night this week, but that didn’t keep him from having a great game against Northwestern. The Buckeyes dominated, and Fields had a big part to play in that narrative.

Justin Fields threw for less than 200 yards, but he was efficient in the game. He had a 78 percent completion rate, and he threw for four touchdowns. He wasn’t a big part of the running game, but that wasn’t needed for this one.

Against a team like Northwestern, you would like to see more dominance in terms of passing yards, but how can you get mad at the guy for throwing for four touchdowns? What else is he supposed to do with only 23 passing attempts?

With such a strong defense and a powerful running game, you don’t need Justin Fields to be the hero for Ohio State. The only problem with that is that the Heisman Trophy is essentially a hero’s award. You can’t be the best player in limited roles. You have to be the best player all the time.

Thankfully, Ohio State will face more of a challenge next week against Wisconsin. Don’t let their recent loss fool you. They are still a force to be reckoned with. We’ll see how Fields and the Buckeyes respond.