Ohio State's Sermon, Wisconsin's Chenal Named Maxwell, Bednarik Players of the Week

December 23, 2020 by Rich Cirminiello, MaxwellFootballClub.org and CollegeFootballPoll.com Staff

NOTE: CollegeFootballPoll.com's Dave Congrove is a voting member of the Maxwell and Bednarik Awards

Each week during the 2020 season the Maxwell Football Club recognizes outstanding individual performances with two weekly awards. The Maxwell Award Player of the Week will honor overall performance on offense, defense or special teams, and the Chuck Bednarik Award Player of the Week will honor outstanding defensive play. Players selected do not have to be represented on the Maxwell or Bednarik Award watch lists.

Maxwell Award Player of the Week

Trey Sermon – RB – Ohio State

QB Justin Fields was off. WR Chris Olave was out. Northwestern was confident. So, Sermon took over the Buckeye offense. The elusive big back, who transferred in from Oklahoma this year, wore down a Wildcat D that did not allow a touchdown for the first 42 minutes of Saturday’s Big Ten Championship Game. Sermon scored twice and ran for 331 yards, an Ohio State record and the most ever in a conference title game. His big performance has earned him Maxwell Award Player of the Week honors.

Bednarik Award Player of the Week

Leo Chenal – LB – Wisconsin

For the 17th time in the last 18 years, Paul Bunyan’s Axe will call Madison home. And Chenal was a central reason why Wisconsin maintained its dominance over rival Minnesota. While blue-collar RB Garrett Groshek buoyed a depleted backfield, Chenal lived on the Gophers’ side of the ball. The 6-2, 255-pound sophomore run-stuffer had 11.5 stops, including 10 solos, five for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble in the win. Chenal had the highest pass rushing grade of any Week 16 defender, according to Pro Football Focus. His big day has earned him recognition as Chuck Bednarik Award Player of the Week.