Ohio State football: Problems with BTN’s All-Decade Team

Big Ten Network did their own All-Decade team of the entire conference this week. Let’s just say I have a problem with some of their choices regarding Ohio State players.

While there are no sports going on, now is the perfect time to do an All-Decade team for the 2010s. While we did one for Ohio State football awhile ago, Big Ten Network decided to do one for the whole conference. Some of their decisions I agree with, and some I do not.

I do think they got the offensive line right. The Big Ten is known for its offensive play, so there were plenty of strong candidates for First-Team. Billy Price made it at center and current guard Wyatt Davis made it as the only current active player on any of the All-Decade teams. Pat Elflein won the Rimington and was selected Second-Team, so that’s how good Price was. Taylor Decker was also Second-Team.

Davis being selected as the only active player shows you what the 24 person panel thinks of Davis and just how good he is. Davis should be a first-round pick in next year’s draft and can further improve his stock with a stellar 2020.

In the secondary, the only Buckeye to make First-Team was Malik Hooker. Hooker had an unbelievable season in 2016 when he had 7 interceptions and returned 3 of them for touchdowns. He is definitely a worthy choice at safety. But there should have been at least one other Buckeye on the First-Team.

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Vonn Bell and Jeff Okudah were named Second-Team All-Decade. Bell was good and I have no issue with him being Second-Team. But Okudah should have been First-Team. His 2019 season was as good as it gets as a corner. He didn’t commit a single defensive penalty all year long.

I would have bumped out Darqueze Dennard and put Okudah in his spot. I know Dennard won the Thorpe award that year, but Okudah was absurdly good a year ago. It’s a pretty close argument though, so I won’t argue too much.

Ohio State’s linebackers weren’t super strong in the 2010s, so I can’t argue with only one selection for Second-Team, and that is Ryan Shazier. He was a really good Buckeye and it’s a shame that his NFL career came to such an abrupt end while he was so young.

My biggest issue with this list is the selection at running back. Ezekiel Elliott only made Second-Team All-Decade. Are you kidding me? The only running back to win a national championship in the decade is relegated to Second-Team? The guy who ran through Alabama’s defense?

Jonathan Taylor was good, don’t get me wrong. But he was not a better college back than Zeke. Zeke was the best back in the country for two straight years. I’m not even confident Taylor was better than J.K. Dobbins a year ago. It’s ludicrous that Taylor gets the First-Team nod instead.

If J.T. Barrett is not listed as the First-Team quarterback, there is something majorly wrong with this list. He holds every Big Ten record you can hold at the quarterback position. Same goes for the selection of the head coach. Urban Meyer is the only choice that can be made.

We will find out if Barrett and Meyer make the First-Team later today. Check our Twitter account for reactions.