Clarett. Pittman. Wells. Herron. Hyde. Elliott. Dobbins...
Ohio State has had elite running backs for the better part of the 2000's, and for a team that has been dominant so far and looks to have all the pieces to seriously contend for a championship, it must be nice to have that again.
J.K. Dobbins has been excellent this season, rushing for 947 yards this season on a whopping 7.1 ypc to go with seven touchdowns.
But behind him, Master Teague has been just as good. Teague has rushed 73 times for 512 yards (7.0 ypc) to go with four scores, including a long one last night.
Coming out of high school in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, just a few miles outside of Nashville, Teague was a four-star recruit, but wasn't exactly a household, highly-touted name. Urban Meyer and Ohio State saw the talent and extended a scholarship, and here he is.
“He runs really hard. He does a great job,” running backs coach Tony Alford said back in September. “The kid is a powerful kid. He can run. He's big and strong. He attacks defenders when he makes a decision. I think we're becoming more and more comfortable every single day with him."
The coaching staff's faith in Teague has been rewarded so far. Despite playing in a change-of-pace and backup role, Teague has excelled whenever he has been put on the field, something that has to inspire faith in the coaching staff in the event that Dobbins were to unfortunately be unavailable for any reason.
Teague is a big, brusing back with deceptive speed. With a 4.4 40-yard dash time and an ability to also run through arm tackles, Teague has a unique blend of size and speed that is difficult to find... unless you look at his teammate, Dobbins.
It is very unique for a football team to have two backs of a similar mold, and have them both be incredibly effective. But that is what Ohio State has, and they certainly are taking advantage of it.
With an offensive line that is absolutely mauling teams left and right, and a dual-threat quarterback who has shown a great ability of his own to run for big gains and get first downs, the Buckeyes have an elite rushing attack that will be necessary to lean on in big games.
Of course, you never want to see any player go down for any reason. But in the event that Dobbins were to miss time, the Buckeyes have to feel comfortable rolling with Teague.
