Ohio State has arguably two of the best running backs in the Big Ten on its roster already competing for carries, but that doesn't mean they aren't helping each other.
J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber combined to rush for 2,029 yards and 10 touchdowns between them last season and enter a 2018 season in which carries will have to be earned. Both backs have recorded 1,000-yard seasons already in their Buckeye careers, and running backs coach Tony Alford said the competition is good for both of them.
"It makes our team better. It makes you more accountable in everything you do as far as in the meeting room and on and off the field because you have other guys who are pushing you," Alford said Wednesday. "It’s a close group, though, and they enjoy pushing one another. That’s what we’re looking for.”
It isn't just Dobbins and Weber that are pushing each other, however. The duo, along with veteran Antonio Williams, is also helping bring along freshman Master Teague, who arrived in Columbus in January.
Teague led all players in Ohio State's Spring Game with 14 carries for 73 yards and a score on the ground, getting the bulk of the carries with the Buckeye veterans watching most of the game from the sideline.
Ohio State's vets have been helpful when bringing Teague along, according to Alford, who added he expects the same assistance will be offered to Brian Snead when he arrives on campus.
"I’ve watched how those guys have taken to Master Teague, trying to teach him," Alford said. "There’s a lot of times in the meeting room where we’ll be going through something and I’ll say something and all of a sudden, the older guys will stop me and say, ‘Hey, Master thinks of it like this.’ They’re helping one another, and they’ve already started trying to indoctrinate Brian Snead into things and helping him as well.
"It’s a healthy situation, a healthy room, and I like where we’re at. We’ve got to keep going. We’re not where we need to be right now but we’re getting there.”
Depending on who the quarterback is for Ohio State, the Buckeyes could have more carries to go around. Should Joe Burrow win the starting job, it is expected that OSU's offense would look much like it did during the J.T. Barrett era, with plenty of zone reads and quarterback power plays. If it is Dwayne Haskins, the zone read will still be in play, but will likely be called less often or have the read change to better fit his skill set. Tate Martell likely fits in somewhere, but appears to be on the outside looking in for the starting role.
Regardless of who wins the quarterback job, the running backs will likely play an integral role in helping ease the new signal caller in. Once the season starts, Alford said the division of carries will depend on who has the hot hand in each game.
"I think it’s just the flow of the game and how things are going. Those guys are accountable guys," Alford said. "They’ve all grown in their own right as far as the scheme and how we do things here. They’re all very well bought in to what we’re doing as far as the culture of our program and how we do things within the room. A lot of it is the feel of the game and how it’s going.”
