COLUMBUS, Ohio — In order to make it into the first ever College Football Playoff, Ohio State first had to stop a Heisman Trophy finalist.
Now to advance in it, the Buckeyes are going to need to shut down another.
Limiting Melvin Gordon to 76 rushing yards in the Big Ten Championship Game, Ohio State effectively brought an end to the Wisconsin running back’s Heisman chances while simultaneously clinching its spot in college football’s final four.
Gordon would go on to finish second behind Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota in Heisman voting, one spot ahead of the only other player invited to New York City as a finalist for college football’s most prestigious award.
That would be Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper, whose Crimson Tide will take on the Buckeyes in the playoff semifinal game that is the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.
While he may have finished third in Heisman voting, you’d be hard-pressed to find a player who’s been more dominant than Cooper has been in 2014.
“He’s one of the best receivers ever to play college football,” Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer said.
The numbers back up that sentiment, as Cooper’s 115 receptions and 1,656 yards currently rank 21st and 25th, respectively, on college football’s all-time single-season lists.
Should he reach his averages of 8.8 catches and 127.4 yards per game in the Sugar Bowl, Cooper would slide into 15th and 10th place, respectively, in the record books, with a potential appearance in the National…
Continue Reading: Can Ohio State Shut Down Another Heisman Finalist in Amari Cooper?
