Ohio State’s Justin Fields robbed of chance to win Heisman Trophy
Ohio State had the Heisman front-runner with Justin Fields, but the Big Ten’s decision to cancel fall football deprives the star quarterback of winning the prestigious award.
The Big Ten officially canceled the 2020 fall football season and it appears the goal is to play in the spring. Nothing is set in stone right now, as the news just dropped, but a spring season would likely mean anyone with NFL aspirations decides to sit out.
That includes Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields. He was one notable player pushing for there to be a season in 2020 and was a favorite to win the Heisman Trophy after finishing third in the voting in 2019.
Now his college career is likely over, along with his quest for a Heisman.
Justin Fields was a clear Heisman favorite and we’ll never know if he would have won the Trophy with his season getting canceled
Fields finished third in last year’s Heisman voting. He was just behind Jalen Hurts for a second, but both stood no chance against winner Joe Burrow after his legendary season at LSU. Both Hurts and Burrow are now in the NFL and Fields seemed to be set to compete with Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence for the award.
The quarterback made his Ohio State debut in 2019 after transferring from Georgia. He proceeded to throw for 3,273 yards and a whopping 41 touchdowns. Fields also added 484 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. His numbers could have been even better if not for a leg injury and the fact the Buckeyes blew out several opponents on the schedule.
Canceling the 2020 season is sad news for all the student-athletes who will lose a season of their careers. Ultimately, Fields will be fine and should go off the board early in what will be a bizarre 2021 NFL Draft. But it is fair for him to be bummed about not being able to compete for a Heisman.
His focus should now shift toward preparing for the NFL. Playing in the spring, while a noble move, would not be the best move for his career. Playing a season in the spring followed by one in the fall will also be a huge problem that must be worked out by the Big Ten.
Fields’ Ohio State career will have lasted just one year. He will not go down as a school legend, but he did enough to earn the respect of Buckeyes fans for how he gutted out the 2019 season and will always be welcomed back in Columbus. That may mean more than a trophy.
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