An 11-1 regular-season campaign that has sixth-ranked Ohio State back in the Big Ten Championship Game and in the thick of the national picture yielded multiple conference honors Monday night.
Led by redshirt freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett and sophomore defensive end Joey Bosa, eight Buckeyes were named first- or second-team all-league players.
Barrett was named the conference’s Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year and a first-team selection by the media and coaches. Bosa took home the Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year Award and was also a unanimous first-team choice.
Barrett, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury against Michigan last weekend, became a national star in place of the injured Braxton Miller. He completed 65 percent of his throws for 2,834 and 34 touchdowns (the latter of which is a single-season school record). He also rushed for 1,117 and 11 touchdowns on 171 attempts.
Bosa, who is also a finalist for the Lombardi and Bednarik Awards, leads the conference with 13.5 sacks. He also has 46 tackles and 20 tackles for loss.
On offense, redshirt sophomore guard Pat Elflein was named a first-team Big Ten selection by the coaches while junior tackle Taylor Decker and senior tight end Jeff Heuerman were both consensus second-team All-Big Ten choices.
| Pos | Player | Coaches | Media |
|---|---|---|---|
| QB | J.T. BARRETT | First Team | First Team |
| G | PAT ELFLEIN | First Team | Second Team |
| T | TAYLOR DECKER | Second Team | Second Team |
| TE | JEFF HEUERMAN | Second Team | Second Team |
| DE | JOEY BOSA | First Team | First Team |
| DT | MICHAEL BENNETT | Second Team | Second Team |
| LB | JOSHUA PERRY | Second Team | - |
| CB | DORAN GRANT | First Team | Second Team |
On defense, senior cornerback Doran Grant was named a first-team selection by the coaches. Junior linebacker Joshua Perry was named a second-team selection by the media and senior defensive tackle Michael Bennett named a unanimous second-team honoree.
Eight Buckeyes also picked up honorable mention honors. They include: senior tackle Darryl Baldwin, sophomore safety Vonn Bell, sophomore running back Ezekiel Elliott, sophomore punter Cameron Johnston, senior wide receivers Devin Smith and Evan Spencer, sophomore wide receiver Michael Thomas, and junior defensive tackle Adolphus Washington.
Ohio State plays Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game Saturday night in Indianapolis.
