With training camp wrapping up, Mike Weber is the clear starting running back for Ohio State. Weber was expected to fight for the job with Bri’Onte Dunn until he was dismissed from the team last month. Dunn is currently facing first degree misdemeanor domestic violence and assault charges. It will take a lot to replace Ezekiel Elliott, but Weber said that he is, “focused on being himself and doing everything I can to help this team win.” While Ohio State fans have had very high expectations for their running backs in recent years, what exactly should fans expect from Weber this season?
What to Expect from Mike Weber
Since Urban Meyer came to Ohio State, he has only had two different running backs to start Week one, Ezekiel Elliot and Carlos Hyde. In their first game as starters, Ohio State has faced relatively easy opponents. Hyde played Miami (OH) in a 56-10 win while Elliott played Navy in a 34-17 win. In both games, they had under 20 touches while the quarterbacks stole the show. Against Miami (OH), Braxton Miller made 41 passes/rushes and against Navy, J.T. Barrett made 24 passes/rushes. Meyer has done this mainly to test out how effective the rushing game will be while focusing on increasing the confidence of his quarterbacks. Expect Meyer to do this as well with Weber until he is more comfortable.
Weber may not get very many touches early on, but he should still be effective. Ohio State does not face a Top 50 rush defense up until Wisconsin in Week 7. Oklahoma has the best rush defense in the first six weeks, but still allowed 161.7 rushing yards per game last season. Once conference play begins, Weber will likely get more touches. In the six out-of-conference games that Hyde and Elliott played their first year starting, they given more than 20 touches only once. The exception was against Cincinnati when Elliott had 28 rushes and caught five passes. In the three out-of-conference games that Weber plays, he should be able to get about 300 total yards of offense even with limited touches.
Beginning of Conference Play
Once conference play starts, Weber will really begin to open up. Rutgers allowed 186.1 rushing yards per game last year, ranking them 84th in the country. Weber should be able to finally get a solid amount of touches. Indiana should be much of the same. Indiana’s rush defense was worse than Rutgers last season, ranking 95th in the county. These two games should really prove if Weber has the ability to fill the shoes of Elliott.
The first six weeks should be easy for Weber. He can get his feet wet and learn some of the ins-and-outs you need as a college football running back. Wisconsin will be his first real test. Wisconsin allowed only 95.4 rushing yards per game and had the fourth best rush defense in the country. Wisconsin will also have a bye week to prepare for Ohio State. While Ohio State should still win this game, this will be a test. If he passes it however, it could really prove his value to Ohio State fans.
Second Half
The rest of Ohio State’s schedule will continue to test the patience of the freshman running back. Ohio State will only face one defense after Wisconsin who was not a top 50 rush defense. Even then, Maryland ranked 54th so they are still a strong defense. These late October and November games are the ones that Ohio State always seems to open up the rushing game. From October 15th until the end of the regular season, Elliott and Hyde played a combined 12 games and had at least 15 touches in all but one game. The exception was a 55-14 win over Illinois where Ohio State led 31-0 at halftime before benching starters.
Overall
Overall, there will be a lot of pressure on the young back. He faces several solid rush defenses and will play in some very tough road games like Oklahoma, Penn State, and Michigan State. It’s way too early to tell if Weber is the next Elliott or Hyde, but he has the tools. The year will start with some fairly easy games to adjust to the speed of the NCAA and will end with some real challenges with conference rivals. If Ohio State does not rush Weber into being a top back immediately and allows him to adapt, Ohio State may have one of the best young prodigies in the country.
Main Photo via Getty Images.
