Ohio State Football: Young could break single-season sack record

Ohio State football defensive end Chase Young has had a stellar season as he already has 13.5 sacks. Could he break the NCAA single-season record?

Chase Young has been incredible for the Ohio State football team so far this season as he has 13.5 sacks, leading the nation by four. He also had his best game in the Buckeyes’ biggest game of the season on Saturday as he had four sacks against the No. 13 ranked Wisconsin Badgers.

If he continues to play this way, could Young break the record for sacks in a season?

The answer is yes, no matter what you consider the record to be.

According to 247Sports, Alabama’s Derrick Thomas had 27 sacks in 1988. However, the NCAA did not start recording defensive statistics until 2000 and since then the man with the most sacks in a season was Arizona State’s Terrell Suggs in 2002 with 24.

I think Young could break either one.

Right now, Young is averaging 1.69 sacks per game. The Buckeyes have four regular season games left and if they make the Big Ten Championship Game like we think they will then they will have at least six games left, including a bowl game.

If he stays with the 1.69 sacks per game rate through six games, then he has a chance to get over 10 sacks through the next six games.

Just getting 10 sacks would put him at 23.5 – a-half-sack behind Suggs’ record of 24. I think he could easily get an extra half-sack in there.

Say that the Buckeyes do what we hope they do though, and they make a run to the national championship. They could have seven games left.

1.69 sacks per game for seven games equals 11.83 sacks. Obviously, a person cannot get 11.83 sacks so let’s say he gets 11.5, that would put him at 25 total sacks. If we round up and he gets 12 more sacks, then that would put him at 25.5 total sacks.

That is well over Suggs’ 24 sacks and 1.5 sacks behind Thomas’ record of 27.

What if Young gets more than 1.69 sacks in a game? I mean, he did just have four against Wisconsin and he has had two or more sacks two other times this season.

If he averages two sacks a game through – hopefully – seven games, then that would put him at 27.5 sacks on the season. Seeing what Young has done so far, I do not think that is out of the question.

Listen, I know that teams will continue to double-team and maybe even triple-team Young, but it does not seem like that has bothered him so far. The Buckeyes also have some games left against some not-so-good teams like Maryland and Rutgers and they might not have the talent to slow Young down. It is a tall task, but I think Young can certainly get more than 24 sacks this season and has a good shot at getting 27 or more.