Chase Young returned to the field for Ohio State on Saturday in the Buckeyes’ 28-17 home win over Penn State, and he made quite the statement as he helped his team clinch the Big Ten East.
Young served a two-game suspension for violating the NCAA’s arbitrary rules regarding a small loan he received (and paid back) reportedly so his girlfriend could travel to Pasadena to see Ohio State play in the Rose Bowl.
Prior to the suspension for the Buckeyes’ games against Maryland and Rutgers, Young was in the Heisman Trophy conversation. And based on his performance against the Nittany Lions, that suspension might not and should not keep him from being a finalist.
Young entered Saturday’s game second in the nation with 13.5 sacks on the season. And with his three sacks against Penn State to bring his total to 16.5, he broke the school’s single-season sacks record. He passed Vernon Gholston’s record of 14.0 from 2007, and, again, this is after Young missed two games this season.
He also had nine total tackles, five solo and four for loss, and two forced fumbles in the Buckeyes’ Week 13 win.
Ohio State fans were thrilled to have him back on the field for a big win, and college football fans in general returned to being in total awe of possibly the best player in the country this season. And NFL fans are practically drooling over him.
