Saturday Sermon: Ohio State rushes to Big Ten title

Trey Sermon rushed for 344 yards for Ohio State this season, with 18 percent of that coming on one run against Michigan State on Dec. 5. So, of course, Sermon became the star of the show in the Big Ten championship game on Saturday against Northwestern.

With quarterback Justin Fields wearing a brace on his wrist and thumb, and struggling to find a rhythm both because of that and the absence of star receiver Chris Olave for, uh, reasons, Sermon ran for 331 yards and two touchdowns, nearly doubling his season yardage total, to lead Ohio State to a 22-10 victory and, assuredly, a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Sermon, a senior who transferred from Oklahoma this year, broke the Ohio State single-game rushing record of 314 yards, which had been held by Eddie George since 1995, in a far less significant game against Illinois.

What in the name of Cardale Jones?

That’s just the thing about Ohio State, year after year after year. Someone can’t play because of an injury, or suspended for improper benefits from a tattoo parlor, or coronavirus, and someone barely anyone knows is even on the roster turns out to be a superstar. It’s the college football version of the Yankees, right on down to being in the playoffs every year and only having two championships this century.

As cool as it is to see a guy like Sermon step in, take over a game, and set a record out of nowhere, Ohio State still only squeaked by Northwestern, after only squeaking by Indiana. Not exactly Alabama.