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The Ohio State running back earned the Chicago Tribune's Silver Football award given annually to the best player in the Big Ten. Ezekiel Elliott finished the regular season with 1,672 on 262 carries for 19 touchdowns. He has one more chance to suit up as a Buckeye when the team heads to Arizona for the Fiesta Bowl, and it could be his best game yet.
Elliott earned eight of the 13 possible first-place votes, outscoring Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook (three first-place votes) and Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard (two first-place votes). Votes are placed by the conference's head coaches, with Rutgers former head coach Kyle Flood not submitting a vote due to losing his job just after the regular season.
The Buckeyes have a history of winning this award, with Elliott being the third Ohio State player in four years to win the award -- the other being Braxton Miller in back-to-back years, 2012 and 2013. Having two different Silver Football Award winners on your offense at the same time is a good thing, we're told.