Record-breaking Trey Sermon leads Ohio State to Big Ten championship, College Football Playoff

A record-breaking performance by Ohio State football star running back Trey Sermon was the difference for the Buckeyes over Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Justin Fields wasn’t at his best but Trey Sermon was and that’s why Ohio State won the Big Ten Championship Game over Northwestern and will make the College Football Playoff.

Sermon broke the Big Ten Championship Game rushing record previously held by Ezekiel Elliott with 331 yards on 29 carries and two touchdowns in the 22-10 win. It also broke Eddie George’s single-game rushing record and it came at the perfect time for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State played without 22 players, including Chris Olave and Barrett Browning but after some struggles vs. the Wildcats, they prevailed.

Fields struggled for most of the game, throwing a pair of interceptions, including one in the end zone at the end of the first half but when Ohio State committed to the run game, Sermon delivered his finest performance as a Buckeye.

Trey Sermon put Ohio State on his back vs. Northwestern

That performance will see Ohio State play their next game in the College Football Playoff, most likely in the Sugar Bowl against Alabama.

Despite only playing six games due to the late start and a pair of games canceled due to COVID, the Buckeyes passes the eye test for the playoff committee and while Texas A&M fans may have a right to be upset, the Buckeyes have the chance to compete for a national championship.

That type of performance from Sermon is what Ohio State will need in order to compete in the playoff, but the performance from Fields would certainly doom the championship hopes if that continues in the playoff.

Fields also struggled against Indiana with three interceptions. In the two biggest games of the year, Fields was uncharacteristically bad and if Ohio State is without their leading receiver, Olave, in the playoff, he’ll need to rely on true freshman Julian Fleming to grow up and produce in a hurry.

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