Ohio State Football: 3 reasons Buckeyes should be in top 4 of CFB Playoff rankings

2. Buckeyes have top-notch duo in the backfield

Senior quarterback J.T. Barrett just got himself back into the Heisman race with his performance in the win over Penn State. Barrett completed 33 of his 39 passes for 328 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions.

He also added nearly 100 rushing yards against the Nittany Lions. This is a new Barrett we are seeing on the field down the stretch. He’s quite the combination with freshman running back J.K. Dobbins alongside him in the backfield.

Sophomore running back Mike Weber was supposed to be the starter with Barrett. However, it did not take long for Dobbins to prove his worth with the Ohio State offense. Dobbins is averaging more than 7.6 yards per carry this season.

Yet, the fate of the Buckeyes lies in the hands of Barrett. The production comes and goes as his efforts do. When the offense went dormant against Clemson and for most of the game against the Michigan Wolverines, it was because of the lack of production from Barrett.