B1G awards tracker: Ohio State Buckeyes own top spots — for now – Big Ten Blog- ESPN

4:45 PM ET Ohio State’s loss at Penn State shook up the Big Ten championship picture, but did it alter the race for individual awards? Not yet, but there are definitely some cracks in the foundation that others may be able to exploit. Our voting panel takes a look at the offensive and defensive player of the year standings, and this week we check in on the top freshmen in the conference. Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year Despite Saturday’s loss to Penn State, J.T. Barrett remains the conference’s top player on offense. Dylan Buell/Getty Images1. Ohio State QB J.T. Barrett (five first-place votes): Barrett maintains the top spot by a unanimous vote, but he and his team’s struggles in the passing game became acute in State College on Saturday and may keep him from running away with this award. 2. Northwestern WR Austin Carr: You could make the argument that no player is dominating his position peer group more than Carr. He has 50 catches for 720 receiving yards and nine touchdowns; no other Big Ten players have reached 40 catches, 600 yards or six TDs. 3. Ohio State H-back Curtis Samuel: He probably should have touched the ball more…

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