Bo Jackson has eclipsed the 600 yard mark in yards gained and would appear to be the #1 option to run the ball. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
The Buckeyes’ backfield hasn’t been electric this season, but the youngsters carrying the football are gaining experience and confidence.
By Marcus Hartman for Press Pros
Columbus, OH — Ohio State brought three young running backs and two defensive linemen out for interviews Wednesday night.
That is unusual for the middle of the season, when typically a handful of players representing several positions are made available for midweek media appearances.
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That way they can (at least in theory) provide an overview of what the team is up to and what to expect when the Buckeyes take the field again Saturday.
Veteran columnist Marcus Hartman writes the OHSAA, Ohio State, and sports at large for Press Pros Magazine.com.
This felt more like spring or preseason interview session when each position group has its day to talk about the progress going on within its room — the challenges, triumphs and whatever else we media heathens might want to know.
Then again, that might be appropriate for Ohio State’s running backs this season.
While the top-ranked Buckeyes have many obvious strengths, running back is not one of them.
Neither is the offensive line, but both remain focused on improving.
Those groups have a symbiotic relationship, though more attention tends to be put on the big fellas up front, at least in Columbus where great offensive lines were once a given but recent history has been more hit or miss.
At the same time, Ohio State has become a pass-first team under Ryan Day, a style that won the national title last year and has the Buckeyes aiming for another right now.
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You can’t stop progress no matter how many things that could happen on a pass play are bad, but there is no rule against having a reliable running game AND passing game.
The latter looks better than anyone else has in the nation this fall, so the former might not need to be good or even decent for Ohio State to achieve its goal of repeating as national champions (not to mention finally beating Michigan and winning the Big Ten again).
Nonetheless, the running backs spoke this week.
That makes this running backs week for better or for worse as the Buckeyes prepare to play host to UCLA.
Sophomore James Peoples has shown sparks of brilliance in limited opportunities through the first nine games.
Fortunately for true freshmen Bo Jackson and Isaiah West, sophomore James Peoples and senior CJ Donaldson, better is how they all looked Saturday at Purdue.
“The more they play, the more they’re getting comfortable,” head coach Ryan Day said Tuesday. “I thought that group took a step. Even though maybe it only looked like a little step to everybody, there was a lot of things that I saw.”
He cited breaking more tackles, powering through in a handful of short-yardage situations and blitz pickups.
Jackson brushed off having a 70-yard touchdown run called back for a block in the back on his first carry to still go for 75 yards on 14 carries, but Day was more impressed with seeing him bounce off a hit in the backfield and press forward to make a positive gain twice.
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West had 60 yards on nine carries, Peoples had 26 yards on eight and Donaldson added 12 yards on five (including two one-yard touchdowns) against the Boilermakers.
Donaldson did not come out for interviews Wednesday night, but getting a chance to talk to all three youngsters at the same time was interesting because it provided a window into their personalties, at least a small one.
Jackson is the most productive this season (613 yards on only 95 carries) but the least talkative.
That seems to fit his running style, which is more steady than flashy. Since bursting on the scene late in the Ohio game, Jackson has shown a knack for gliding through holes and sliding by potential tacklers, but Day liked how physical he got on a few runs against the Boilermakers.
“Obviously I had to adjust to the physical side, the guys being bigger, faster, and stronger than they were in high school, but also the mental side,” Jackson said. “You gotta know your reads, know the plays, be inside the playbook.”
West came across more analytical, saying his best attribute is his vision. He has gotten more opportunities in the last few games after recovering from an injury.
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“I feel like with me something that I’ve always prided myself in is being able to make those people miss in interior traffic,” said West, who has 177 yards on 34 carries this season. “I feel like I got pretty good feet. I got good eyes. And that’s something that I kind of pride myself in. I like to pick the defense apart. I’m not necessarily burst out the gate — that’s Bo’s game — and every back is different.”
Peoples brought the highest recruiting pedigree, but he has had the hardest time getting traction this season after being the third back behind TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins last fall.
He had a chance to take the No. 1 back role at the start of the season, relinquished it to Jackson and now appears to also trail West on the depth chart, but the Texas native expressed optimism this week after flashing his ability a few times the past couple of games.
“I think we did a good job of running physical, you know what I’m saying?” Peoples said. “Getting downhill and doing what we need to do, which was the expectation, because of course that was Purdue. But I mean, I think we all did come off having good games.”
He has 247 yards on 52 carries.
“So now it’s just stacking days and continuing to do it week by week, being explosive in those areas.”
Two more games remain between now and the 121st playing of The Game against Michigan.
Those are against UCLA and Rutgers, who have a combined record of 5-8 in the Big Ten.
They also happen to have two of the worst run defenses in the country
The Bruins are 122nd in the nation in rushing yards allowed per game (191.1) while Rutgers is 126th (196.5 YPG.).
Michigan, meanwhile, currently ranks 12th at 100.2 YPG.
“We’re just going to keep swinging on it, and it comes down to fundamentals,” Day said of the running game collectively. “That’s it. So we’ll keep trying to figure out ways to be creative and create space and create explosion.”
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