2014 could easily be described as the ‘year of the running back’ in the Big Ten with players such as Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon and Indiana’s Tevin Coleman garnering national praise for their exploits on the ground. Going into the conference championship game in Indianapolis, much of the pregame hype centered around whether or not Gordon could put together a performance against Ohio State that would vault him above Marcus Mariota in the Heisman conversation. In the end, it was the feature back for the Buckeyes who would steal the spotlight for himself and add his name to the list of nationally renowned Big Ten speedsters.
Sophomore running back Ezekiel Elliott turned in a masterful performance against the Badgers, upstaging his Heisman frontrunner rival in a game where Ohio State dominated in almost every facet en route to an historic 59-0 blowout. Elliott’s rushing stats personified that dominance on the offensive side of the ball as he finished with 220 yards and two touchdowns, one of which was an 81-yard scamper in the first quarter that would signify the start of the Buckeye rout. Compare that to Gordon, whose measly 76 yards without a single score (the Badgers did get shut out, after all) in the biggest game of the year for Wisconsin pretty much handed the Heisman Trophy to Mariota.
As the Buckeyes prepare to take the field in New Orleans for their national semifinal Sugar Bowl match-up with top ranked Alabama on New Year’s night, there are certainly going to be a series of key factors that will determine if the Scarlet and Gray can keep up. As most are aware by this point, the line favors the Crimson Tide and even the most ardent OSU fan is well-aware of the fact Bama is expected to advance to the national championship game. That said, not many people saw Ohio State getting this far given the uncertainty that hit them at the quarterback position not once but twice this season, yet here they are.
Getting the running game going will undoubtedly be one of those important factors of which Elliott will play a prominent role. That’s a task that can aptly be described as ‘easier said than done’ against the nation’s top run defense. Alabama is conceding 88.7 yards per game on the ground and what’s even more mind boggling about this defensive unit is the fact they’ve allowed a mere three rushing touchdowns all year.
It should be abundantly clear by now that Elliott is going to have his hands full and will be hard pressed to replicate his performance in Indianapolis. Still, what must be emphasized is that Wisconsin wasn’t exactly a complete and utter pushover from the standpoint of defending the run. In fact, before getting carved up by Elliott and company, the Badgers possessed a top ten rushing defense themselves and even afterwards their standing in that category only fell to 16th nationally.
As you can see, it appeared on paper that Elliott was going to struggle in the Big Ten championship game and ended up coming through with flying colors. Among other things, if Ohio State is to make their first national championship game appearance in a dozen years, he’ll have to mirror that effort. With that in mind, let’s take a look at what makes this immensely talented and underrated back such a tough runner to defend.
I know it’s an oft-repeated term when you’re describing any skill position player, but versatile is the first characteristic that comes to mind when assessing Elliott. As a running back in an offense like Ohio State’s, it’s essential to be able to make effective runs between and outside the tackles, catch passes on screens, and set up blocks both in the backfield on pass plays as well as downfield on draws and jet sweep packages. Over the course of the season and especially during the Big Ten championship game, Elliott proved himself to be more than capable in all these capacities.
What I’m most impressed about is the sheer physicality of his running style, which might be on full display when he doesn’t even have the ball in his hands. Elliott is not afraid to throw his 6’0”, 225 pound frame around at opposing linebackers and defensive backs in setting up a seam for teammates to run through. Though he’ll be expected to carry a significant work load in New Orleans, expect him to clear the way on zone reads where quarterback Cardale Jones decides to keep the ball, and when freshman hybrid back Jalin Marshall comes around on those aforementioned sweeps and potentially when he sets up in the wildcat which should figure into the Buckeyes offensive game plan on Thursday.
As previously mentioned, the Crimson Tide possess the nation’s most prolific defense when it comes to shutting down opposing runners. What will make it even more challenging for OSU is the fact that they can expect Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart to concoct a potent combination of eight and even nine-man fronts to neutralize the Buckeye ground game, potentially forcing the talented yet inexperienced Jones into rushed decision-making. For whatever reason, Wisconsin rarely stacked the box against Ohio State and in fact seemed to show a lot of nickel even in clear rushing situations that was obviously pounced upon. The Buckeyes won’t have that luxury on Thursday.
Everything that is required for an effective rushing attack on this gigantic stage has appeared to come together for Ohio State over the course of the season. The offensive line, once the weak link for this team, has made massive strides on a game-by-game basis with two players, Pat Elflein and Taylor Decker, garnering end of season all-Big Ten honors. Having good speed, vision and elusiveness is important for any elite runner, but having a group of big guys in front of you consistently winning the battle in the trenches is another indispensable component.
Thursday night’s battle on the bayou will have myriad storylines, the resolution of which will determine who wins or loses this game and advances to the national championship final 11 days later in Arlington, TX. Urban Meyer and Nick Saban will butt heads as head coaches for the fourth time with Meyer looking to even the series. The Ohio State secondary will look to contain Heisman Trophy finalist Amari Cooper and force mistakes out of quarterback Blake Sims. All-American defensive end Joey Bosa will hope to take advantage of some favorable match-ups against a young Bama offensive line. And of course, the main cog in the Buckeyes’ vaunted ground attack has his golden opportunity to shine on the biggest stage of his career.
Make no mistake about it. The inter-conference measuring stick will be out in full force for this game. The Big Ten has been in hot pursuit for respect on a national level for over a decade now as the SEC has clearly asserted its dominance over college football, taking seven of the last eight national titles. In a year where the conference known for “three yards and a cloud of dust” rediscovered that persona, perhaps its most under-the-radar running back will play his part in putting the league back on the map.
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