What figures to be an award-winning week for LSU quarterback Joe Burrow got underway Thursday.
Burrow was named The Associated Press college football player of the year in a landslide vote, making him the first LSU player to win the honor, which is in its 22nd year.
Burrow, who has led the top-ranked and undefeated Tigers to their first College Football Playoff berth, received 51 of 54 first-place votes from AP Top 25 poll voters and a total of 159 points.
Ohio State players took the next two spots, with defensive end Chase Young second with three first-place votes and 69 points and quarterback Justin Fields third with 43 points. Burrow, Fields, Young and Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts, who finished fourth in the AP voting with 33 points, are the finalists for the Heisman Trophy that will be handed out Saturday in New York.
Burrow is the overwhelming Heisman favorite after passing for 4,715 yards and 48 touchdowns, the latter a Southeastern Conference record. The senior who transferred from Ohio State in spring 2018 has completed 77.9% of his passes this season and is on pace to set a major college record.
The AP award began in 1998, and only five times has the winner not been the same as the Heisman recipient.
Burrow was the most honored player Thursday night during the sport's annual awards show at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. Burrow also won the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback of the Year Award - he beat out Fields and Hurts - and the Maxwell Award that goes to the nation's best player, with Hurts and Young the other finalists.
LSU (13-0) faces Hurts and No. 4 Oklahoma (12-1) in the Peach Bowl national semifinal Dec. 28 in Atlanta. Later that night, Fields, Young and the rest of the second-ranked Buckeyes (13-0) will play No. 3 Clemson (13-0) in the other semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona.
Young received two honors Thursday - the Chuck Bednarik Award as the best defensive player and the Bronko Nagurski Award as the outstanding defensive player. He is the first Buckeye to win the Bednarik.
LSU coach Ed Orgeron was named the coach of the year, and Burrow was joined in being honored by teammates Ja'Marr Chase (Fred Biletnikoff Award for outstanding receiver) and Grant Delpit (Jim Thorpe Award for best defensive back).
Bulldogs honored
While Georgia was routed by LSU in the SEC title game last Saturday and missed out on the playoff for the second straight year, the Bulldogs weren't shut out Thursday.
Fifth-year senior Rodrigo Blankenship won the Lou Groza Award as the nation's outstanding place-kicker, becoming the first Bulldog to receive that honor that started in 1992, and 1982 Heisman winner Herschel Walker was recognized by the National College Football Awards Association with the Contribution to College Football Award.
Walker rushed for 5,259 yards and 49 touchdowns for the Bulldogs from 1980 to 1982, leading the Bulldogs to a national championship as a freshman and the SEC title each year.
Blankenship, a semifinalist for the Groza Award the past two years, has made 25 of 31 field-goal attempts this season and all 44 of his PATs. He also joined Georgia junior left tackle Andrew Thomas and fifth-year senior safety J.R. Reed in being recognized Thursday as Walter Camp All-America first-team selections.
More high achievers
Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor won the Doak Walker Award as college football's top running back for the second consecutive season, joining Ricky Williams (Texas, 1997-98) and Darren McFadden (Arkansas, 2006-07) as two-time winners.
Taylor's teammate Tyler Biadasz won the Rimington Award as the top center, Oregon sophomore offensive tackle Penei Sewell won the Outland Trophy as the best interior lineman - he's the first Duck to win the award - and Kentucky punter Max Duffy became the first Wildcat to win the Ray Guy Award.
Clemson's Isaiah Simmons won the Dick Butkus Award as the best linebacker, Florida Atlantic's Harrison Bryant won the Mackey Award as the top tight end and Minnesota's Casey O'Brien received the Sports Spirit Award.