COLUMBUS – Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud is one of four finalists for the Heisman Trophy, the award given to the outstanding player in college football.
Stetson Bennett of Georgia, whose Bulldogs will be opposing Stroud and the Buckeyes in a College Football Playoff semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta on Dec. 31, in one of the other finalists, along with Max Duggan of TCU and Caleb Williams of Southern California.
The award is determined by a vote of more than 900 sports journalists and past winners and will be presented Saturday night at the Lincoln Center in New York.
Stroud and Williams are also are finalists for the Maxwell Award as the top performer in the college game. Stroud, Williams and Duggan are up forthe Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award.
Stroud, in his third season out of Inland Empire, California, is a Heisman finalist for the second year in a row. He was fourth in voting last year. He came into this season regarded as the front-runner and remained the favorite as Ohio State piled up impressive numbers through the first eight games.
But he struggled against Northwestern, the worst team in the Big Ten, and he couldn’t rally the Buckeyes in the second half of their most recent game, a 45-23 home loss to Michigan.
Still, Stroud has the nation’s highest passer rating and is tied for the lead with 37 touchdown passes.
Smith-Njigba’s OSU career is over
Star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba will not play in the College Football Playoff semifinal game while he continues to rehabilitate a leg injury and prepare for the 2023 NFL draft.
The AP Preseason All-American was hurt in the Buckeyes’ opener against Notre Dame and played in just two other games.
The junior from Rockwall, Texas, set school records in 2021 for receptions (95) and receiving yards (1,606).
His yardage total broke a 20-year-old Big Ten Conference record.
OSU OC off to Tulsa
Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson will leave Ohio State after the season to become the head coach at the University of Tulsa.
Wilson has 37 years of coaching experience, having spent six years as Indiana’s head coach before coming to Columbus six years ago.
He has also coached at Oklahoma, Northwestern and Miami of Ohio.