– Look no further for another impact rook than true freshman JK Dobbins. At a whopping 5’10”, Dobbins brought the kind of attitude to the Buckeye running game that, dare I say, we once witnessed with a tailback by the name of Ezekiel Elliot. Sure, Elliot brings a bit more size to the table, but there’s no question that Dobbins brings the same sort of ability to the table. With bruising power, that top-notch Texas speed, and even hands like those of Curtis Samuel and Brandon Saine before him, Dobbins has already illustrated that the sky is the limit. When Mike Weber does return, even Floyd Mayweather will have difficulty dodging that one-two punch. Perhaps a third jab could be added by Antonio Williams, who showed plenty of flashy potential Thursday night.
– But, none of these names would be receiving such praise if they did not have the leadership of senior quarterback JT Barrett, who proved to me that the speculation on last season HAD to be true. Earlier this week, I mentioned a source of mine close to the Ohio State medical staff. This source told me that Barrett sustained a low-grade shoulder tear mid-season and it was kept under wraps.
It made for means to explain Barrett’s sudden drop in passing ability, and it also makes for a good explanation as to why Barrett looked SO drastically improved in his intermediate to deep balls Thursday night. His receivers did not offer too much support in the first half against the Hoosiers, but two plays stood out to me, that some may not recall. First, a deep ball into the outstretched arms of Dobbins. The pass was absolutely flawless. The only problem? A safety had closed in and knocked the ball out of Dobbins’ grasp.
The other play was the 41-yard deep ball over the shoulder of Parris Campbell, and right through his arms. This play could not have been any more perfect, as there was not a single defender in reach out the pass, but Campbell could not hang on. In addition to the return of the passing ability, Barrett did not rely on his legs nearly as much as last season.
Alongside new offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson, I expect the Buckeyes’ offense to excel once more, and to overcome the inexperience from some of the youth at these playmaking positions, thanks in great part to the leadership and capabilities of Barrett.
The Buckeyes will have one of, if not THE toughest challenge of the entire season next week as Oklahoma travels to Columbus. The seventh-ranked squad features Heisman hopeful Baker Mayfield. Last season, Barrett outperformed Mayfield, and put his Heisman campaign on the map. This year, he has the opportunity to do so once more.
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