Ohio State Football: Making Heisman Trophy case for Chase Young

What it means for Chase Young

Chase Young is on pace to have better numbers than all three of these finalists. Not only should Young be in New York, if he continues on this pace he should win.

Put on tape of his game against Wisconsin. He was in the backfield at least 85 percent of the Badgers’ offensive snaps. Not only that, he already dictated the flow of Wisconsin’s offensive game plan because they either ran inside zone, or stretch plays away from Young. For everyone that might not be a football nerd, that means the Badgers limited their playbook running on half the side of the field all game.

Wisconsin tried to chip Young or move the pocket away from him during passing downs. That’s proof you don’t have to be in the backfield literally every play to influence the game.

Young already has more sacks than Warren Sapp and Ndamukong Suh, and he’s on pace to have more tackles for loss than the latter. If he shows up big-time in his showcase games against Michigan and Penn State the way he did against Wisconsin, Young should be the first purely defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy.

On the balance, Chase has the chance to break some rather impressive records. There’s a chance he could break George Selvie’s single season tackle for loss record. In addition, Elvis Dumervil’s single season sack record could also fall at the hands of the Young.

If he doesn’t win, then the Heisman committee should come out and say the trophy is exclusive to the best offensive players because it won’t be going to the best player in college football this season because he plays defensive end for the Buckeyes.