ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – If anybody’s looking for an early Heisman Trophy favorite for next season, look no further than Zeke.
He’s already locked up the voting bloc called the Slobs.
Tailback Ezekiel Elliott, known as Zeke to his teammates, had 246 yards on 36 carries and scored four touchdowns. And the “slobs” – the offensive linemen’s both affectionate and accurate name for themselves – dominated up front as the Buckeyes ran over, around and through Oregon 42-20 on Monday night to capture the national championship.
The sophomore piled up an incredible 696 yards – averaging almost 9 yards a carry – in his last three games against defenses representing three of the best teams in the land.
And the line – with four of five new starters at the outset of the season – continued its powerful play, creating big holes for Elliott and buying time for quarterback Cardale Jones to find receivers or to find seams to run through.