Ezekiel Elliott is always quick to give credit to his offensive line for his success under Urban Meyer at Ohio State.
"The O-line's been so good in my time here," Elliott said after he romped for 214 yards on 30 carries and two touchdowns in a 42-13 win over Michigan Nov. 28. "If you look back at Coach Meyer's history, that's four straight games the Ohio State offensive line has dominated The Game. It all starts there."
| Player, School | 1st Place Votes | 2nd Place Votes | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| EZEKIEL ELLIOTT, OHIO STATE | 8 | 0 | 16 |
| CONNOR COOK, MICHIGAN STATE | 3 | 4 | 10 |
| C.J. BEATHARD, IOWA | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| CARL NASSIB, PENN STATE | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| DESMOND KING, IOWA | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| JOEY BOSA, OHIO STATE | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| DEAN LOWRY, NORTHWESTERN | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| JAKE RUDOCK, MICHIGAN | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| JOE SCHOBERT, WISCONSIN | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Ohio State's had at least one triple-digit rusher in Meyer's four games as head coach against Michigan, all victories. Friday, the most recent running back to do it was named the 2015 recipient of the Chicago Tribune Silver Football, given to the best player in the Big Ten.
Elliott earned the award over other finalists Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook and Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard, two signal callers who led their respective teams to the Big Ten Championship. The Spartans defeated the Hawkeyes, 16-13, Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
The Silver Football is awarded annually after a vote by the conference's coaches, and Elliott is the third Buckeye to win it in four years. Braxton Miller earned it following the 2012 and 2013 seasons.
The Ohio State running back received eight of a possible 13 first-place votes (former Rutgers coach Kyle Flood did not submit a vote, losing his job a day after the season ended). Elliott, the 2015 Big Ten Offensive Player and Running Back of the Year, secured 16 overall points to outpace Cook's 10 points (three first-place votes) and Beathard's four points (two first-place votes).
Elliott ran for a Big Ten-best 1,672 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2015, leading Ohio State to an 11-1 record, No. 7 ranking and berth in the Fiesta Bowl against No. 8 Notre Dame. His rushing touchdowns are tied for the second-most in college football, while the yardage total is good for fifth-best in the country. Elliott eclipsed the 100-yard mark in 11 of 12 regular season games this season, capping it with his fifth career 200-yard game in the season finale against Michigan. That ties Eddie George's school record for career 200-yard performances.
Elliott is the 18th Buckeye all-time to win the award, a conference record. Next closest is the University of Michigan with 17 winners.
