Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State Beat Northwestern to Win 2018 Big Ten Championship
The Ohio State Buckeyes captured their second straight Big Ten Championship with a 45-24 win over the Northwestern Wildcats at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday night.
The victory propelled the Buckeyes to 12-1 overall (9-1 against conference competition) and kept them in the College Football Playoff discussion ahead of Sunday's final four reveal.
Quarterback Dwayne Haskins put on a masterclass and went 34-of-41 for 499 yards and five touchdowns. Northwestern's Clayton Thorson countered with 256 yards and a touchdown.
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Buckeyes Don't Belong in Final Four Despite Big 10 Title Triumph
To be clear, the Buckeyes finished the year in fine form.
Their 62-39 romp past then-No. 4 Michigan was one of the biggest statements any team made all season, and a defeat of Northwestern solidifies them as the class of one of the nation's more competitive conferences.
However, their resume simply doesn't stack up. The win over the Wolverines was eye-opening, sure, but their other ranked victories came against TCU, Penn State and Michigan State teams that proved to be pretenders.
Plus, it's not like they put together a complete 60 minutes against Northwestern.
Sprinkle in a narrow 52-51 overtime win over Maryland and a 49-20 drubbing at the hands of Purdue, and there are simply too many holes in Ohio State's resume for the committee to overlook.
Conversely, Oklahoma—which is already one spot ahead of OSU at No. 5 in the CFP rankings—rebounded from its Oct. 6 loss to Texas with a 39-27 Big 12 title game win over the Longhorns on Saturday. Consider that result on the heels of a 59-56 shootout victory over West Virginia, and the 12-1 Sooners have a leg up on the competition.
Of course, a Rose Bowl showdown against the Washington Huskies won't be a bad consolation. But given the glaring inconsistencies the Buckeyes experienced over the past few months, it's the bowl game they belong in.
Dwayne Haskins Should Bolt for NFL with Draft Stock Surging
Dwayne Haskins is suddenly in a fascinating spot.
While it once seemed sensible for the Ohio State signal-caller to return for his redshirt junior season to get a second year of starts under his belt, the last two weeks have seemingly positioned him as one of the more compelling quarterbacks in the 2019 draft class—if he declares.
And at this rate, it's hard to argue he shouldn't.
Haskins' pro potential was on full display last week as he lit up Michigan's top-flight defense for 396 yards and six touchdowns, and he added to his highlight reel with a composed, efficient outing on Saturday.
Despite going up against a Northwestern defense that was allowing just 237.0 passing yards per game, Haskins picked his spots, generally made smart reads (a second-quarter overthrow served as his lone interception) and slid around confidently in the pocket to extend plays to the tune of a Big Ten Championship Game record 499 yards and five scores.
The question, then, is how willing teams will be to roll the dice on his tantalizing upside at the top of the draft.
"I'll tell yah, the ones who jump after one good year scare me," an NFL scout told The Athletic's Dane Brugler. "Teams are going to blitz the s--t out of him, can he adjust and make reads on the fly? They'll make Purdue look like a day on the beach. He's pretty raw, but most of these guys are. I'm told he's a coachable kid and the arm talent is elite so I'm sure a lot of teams will be comfortable with him. I bet he comes out."
Given the season-ending surge he's stitched together, it's starting to look like a no-brainer.
What's Next?
The Buckeyes and Wildcats will learn their bowl fates on Sunday.
Where to Watch: College football games and related coverage are available through fuboTV.
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