Ohio State football: 5 reasons the Buckeyes will beat Penn State

4. J.K. Dobbins will prove that Saquon Barkley isn’t the only great running back in the Big Ten.

All the talk around the Big Ten and beyond has been about how great Saquon Barkley is. This is for good reason considering he has the most all-purpose yards in the nation and has led his team to an undefeated season but this is beside the point. All of this talk has drowned out the greatness of another terrific back in the Big Ten who Barkley will be on the field with this weekend.

The Buckeyes’ very own J.K. Dobbins has been one of the most outstanding young running backs in the country. He has averaged a Big Ten high 7.8 yards per carry. Dobbins has been lightning in a bottle since he arrived on campus and continues to impress. Dobbins is also ahead of Barkley in total rushing yards while having 17 less carries. Take that for data.

With all of the Barrett theatrics that have been going on recently, we can’t let it distract from the fact that J.K. Dobbins is and will be the main key to the Buckeyes’ success. When it comes down to it, the Bucks are a power running team who leans on the running back. Dobbins’ abilities clearly set him apart as the centerpiece of the scheme which may also be the reason why the passing game has been operating so well.

The Bucks should not be shy in giving Dobbins the ball early and often as he can set the tone. All eyes will be on Barkley in this game but Dobbins is going to be the name that is in everyone’s minds at the end of the day. He can display just as much flash as Barkley and has the lateral quickness to match.

Aside from the mess that is currently the TTUN offense, the other teams the Nittany Lions have faced consist of bottom of the barrel rushing offenses. Northwestern, Iowa, and Indiana are all in the bottom five in Big Ten rushing offense. The Nittany Lions’ defense will be in for a rude awakening this weekend against a high powered Buckeyes’ rushing attack.

Dobbins isn’t the receiving threat that Barkley is but there is a reason for that. Firstly, the Bucks don’t require Dobbins as a receiver considering the plentiful passing options as their disposal. This is contrary to the Nittany Lions as they need Barkley as a receiver out of the backfield in order to be a major threat. This is also relative to the Bucks’ play style last season as Curtis Samuel filled that role as a Barkley type player. The Bucks do still have that kind of player in Parris Campbell but to a lesser extent.

This game provides ample opportunity for the Bucks to flex their muscles with the new weapon they have in J.K. Dobbins. Everyone’s talking about how the Nittany Lions have the best running back, well the Bucks have a pretty darn great back too. Dobbins isn’t expected to outplay Barkley at any rate, but he is certainly capable of doing so. J.K. Dobbins is the next big thing for college football in the Big Ten and everyone might just get a preview on Saturday.