Ohio State's center has been named the best center in college football for the second year in a row.
Billy Price was named Thursday night as this year's recipient of the Rimington Trophy, one year after former Ohio State center Pat Elflein took home the same award.
"This is a huge honor, I'm just happy to bring it back to Columbus," Price said on ESPNU after winning the award.
A fifth-year senior from Austintown, Ohio, Price has been the anchor of an offensive line that has led the Buckeyes to ranking sixth in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total offense (523.6 yards per game), eighth in the FBS in rushing yards per attempt (5.9) and has allowed only 19 sacks in 13 games.
In the process of starting every game this season, Price broke Luke Fickell's school record for most consecutive games started, while he is one game away from tying Elflein's record for most career games played.
Price is the third Ohio State player to win the Rimington Award, following Elflein and LeCharles Bentley, who won the award for college football's most outstanding center in 2001.
Between Price and Elflein, who both won the award in their first seasons playing center, Greg Studrawa has now had a Rimington Award winner in each of his first two seasons as Ohio State's offensive line coach.
"I don’t think there is any question this year that Billy is the nation’s top center," Studrawa said before the winner was announced, according to the Rimington Trophy's official Twitter account. "He has dominated at the position all year."
Price was named last week as the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year and was also named Thursday as a first-team All-American by both Sports Illustrated and the Walter Camp Football Foundation.
