Taylor Decker, Joey Bosa named 2015 consensus All-Americans

With the reveal of the American Football Coaches Association's All-American team, we now know the 2015 consensus All-Americans.

Since 2002, the NCAA has taken the AFCA's team, the Football Writers Association's, the Associated Press, the Sporting News, and and the Walter Camp All-America Team and assembled an annual "consensus team" recognizing those chosen in three or more of the first teams.

Though it won't be officially revealed until today, Ohio State's Taylor Decker was expected to be OSU's lone honoree. Decker was a first team All-American as selected by the Walter Camp Foundation, Associated Press, and AFCA alike.

While Decker is more than deserving, it looked like an absolute crime that teammate Joey Bosa wouldn't be joining him. Though he was a first team All-American on the Walter Camp and AFCA teams, Sporting News relegating Bosa to their second team and Adolphus Washington to their first nearly cost Bosa his shot at a deserving cap to a great Buckeye career.

But in a bit of a twist, because there weren't enough players named to three or more All-American teams, Bosa was named to a consensus All-American after all. And beyond deservedly so.

It's also beyond wild to think that Ezekiel Elliott, a running back who in no small part helped carry Ohio State to an improbable first ever College Football Playoff national championship, wasn't named a first team All-American by any reputable outlet. Zeke subsequently won't have a tree in Buckeye Grove.

Buckeye Grove, which is adorned with trees planted for first team All-America honors from any major outlet (not just the five mainstays comprising the NCAA's recognized consensus All-America team) right next to Ohio Stadium, in the future will recognize lineman Taylor Decker, defensive end Joey Bosa, safety Vonn Bell, and defensive tackle Adolphus Washington. Baffling to think Elliott won't be there with them.

Bosa and Decker's recognitions mean that Ohio State has 81 consensus All-Americans in its history, more than any other Big Ten school. Bosa, of course, is now a two-time consensus All-American, Ohio State's first since James Laurinaitis. Bosa also joins rarified Buckeye air, as A.J. Hawk, Mike Nugent and Orlando Pace were other recent two-time consensus All-Americans.

Though it's not uncommon for their to be annual snubs, even with the consensus nod, for Bosa to not be recognized by three of the five teams comprising the NCAA's consensus team raises a pretty valid question -- why are some of those still included at all?