The Sports Inquirer

Release from Big Ten Conference:

The Big Ten Conference announced the five remaining postseason individual award winners on Tuesday night, including honorees from the Gophers, Buckeyes and Badgers. Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon was named the Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year. Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa and quarterback J.T. Barrett were tabbed as the Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player and Thompson-Randle El Freshman of the Year, respectively. Minnesota’s Jerry Kill was named the Hayes-Schembechler Coach of the Year by his peers and Dave McClain Coach of the Year by the media.

Gordon is the fifth Badger running back to collect Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year laurels, along with Montee Ball (2011), John Clay (2009), Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne (1999) and Brent Moss (1993). The Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year, Gordon has amassed a Big Ten and school record 2,260 rushing yards, breaking the mark of 2,109 yards set by Dayne in 1996. Gordon leads the nation with 200.9 all-purpose yards per game, 188.3 rushing yards per game and 26 rushing touchdowns.

Bosa is the ninth Buckeye to receive the conference’s top defensive award, and the second in the past three seasons after John Simon claimed the honor in 2012. Bosa, who was named the Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year, leads the Big Ten with 13.5 sacks and 20.0 tackles for loss and is tied for the conference lead with four forced fumbles.

Barrett is the eighth Buckeye to be named Freshman of the Year, and first since fellow signal caller Braxton Miller claimed the award in 2011. The Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year, Barrett set the Big Ten record for most touchdowns responsible for in a season, accounting for 45 touchdowns, including 34 passing scores and 11 rushing touchdowns.

Kill claims his first Big Ten Coach of the Year laurel, and just the second for a Minnesota mentor since 1972, as Glen Mason was honored in 1999. Kill has guided Minnesota to back-to-back seasons of eight or more wins for the first time since 2002 and 2003. Five Minnesota players earned first-team All-Big Ten status this season, including Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year Peter Mortell and Kwalick-Clark Tight End of the Year Maxx Williams.