Ohio State's Chase Young: Justin Fields Is Best QB in Nation After Blowout Win

No. 4 Ohio State scored 24 second-quarter points en route to a 52-3 road win over Northwestern on Friday evening.

Buckeyes quarterback Justin Fields completed 18 of 23 passes for 194 yards and four scores, and after the game, OSU edge-rusher Chase Young provided strong praise:

A case can certainly be made for that sentiment. Fields has thrown 22 touchdowns to just one interception through seven games. He's completed 70.7 percent of his passes and rushed for 291 yards and eight more touchdowns.

Under Fields' leadership, the 7-0 Buckeyes have outscored their opponents by 40.29 points per game. The closest contest was a 34-10 win over then-No. 25 Michigan State in early October.

Outside the numbers, Fields passes the eye test, with this escape and throw against Northwestern serving as one example.

Fields has made all the right moves, but OSU's schedule is about to get markedly tougher. A home date with No. 6 Wisconsin and its No. 1 scoring defense looms on October 26, and No. 7 Penn State and its second-ranked scoring defense heads to Columbus in late November.

As usual, OSU closes the regular season against archrival Michigan. The Buckeyes' game against the No. 16 Wolverines will be in Ann Arbor this year.

If Fields navigates through those three games unscathed, then Young's opinion might just prevail. College football is rich with quarterback talent this year thanks to Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa, LSU's Joe Burrow, Clemson's Trevor Lawrence and others, but Fields could find himself tops on that list by year's end.