J.K. Dobbins would likely be a lock to be a Heisman candidate if it had been necessary for him to play in virtually any of the second half of Ohio State's games this season.
It hasn't been necessary, however, because right up until the Penn State game the Buckeyes have been so dominant that almost every starter on the team has been able to kick up their feet on the sidelines approximately five minutes into the third quarter in almost every game.
Not so today. Dobbins, who ran for 157 yards, was exactly the stopgap-workhorse-nose-to-the-grindstone-insert-cliche-here player that Ohio State needed in a game where quarterback Justin Fields struggled with holding on to the ball and didn't seem to be trusted by the coaching staff to air it out. The Buckeyes wrung every ounce of effort from his 36 carries, and it helped the Buckeyes to an 11 point win.
I love you buckeye nation!
— Jk dobbins (@Jkdobbins22) November 23, 2019
The last time that Ohio State played a Big Ten conference game that close was last season against Maryland, in which the Buckeyes escaped with a one point victory against the Terrapins. Perhaps it isn't a coincidence that in that game J.K. Dobbins had 37 carries for 203 yards, so maybe it also isn't a coincidence that when the going gets tough, Ohio State relies on a player who has established himself as one of the greatest running backs in Buckeye history.
