FILE PHOTO: Dec 1, 2018; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Dwayne Haskins J.R. (7) runs out of the pocket in the second half against the Northwestern Wildcats in the Big Ten conference championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports
December 8, 2018
Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins will continue his historic season in the Rose Bowl, regardless of whether he decides to enter the NFL draft.
Haskins explained to The Athletic’s Ari Wasserman why he wouldn’t follow a growing trend of players skipping bowl games to preserve their health for the draft.
“Just being a quarterback, it’s your job to lead the team,” Haskins said.
“And for you to say you don’t want to play, you’re not about the team or winning or losing. You just want to get out while you can. There was no doubt in my mind about playing in the game because I know I can help this team win. So whether I was thinking about leaving or not, just knowing I have the opportunity to leave is great, but there is no doubt about me playing in the bowl game.”
Before all that, Haskins will learn on Saturday night whether he wins the Heisman Trophy. He joins Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray and Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa as finalists.
Haskins, a sophomore, led the Buckeyes to their second consecutive Big Ten title and finished the season with 4,580 yards, 47 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He’s the single-season record holder in the Big Ten for passing yards and touchdowns and blew away old Ohio State records set by Joe Germaine with 3,330 yards in 1998 and J.T. Barrett with 35 touchdowns in 2017.
In the conference championship game against Northwestern, Haskins had 499 yards and five touchdowns, leading his team to a 45-24 win.
–Field Level Media
