Ohio State Football: 5 reasons J.K. Dobbins will win 2018 Heisman Trophy
By Phil Poling
3. Power and speed
Not many running backs are simply “power” backs in today’s brand of football, but it’s a bonus when a player can be versatile. J.K. Dobbins is just that.
We’ve seen the big-play, homerun ability from Dobbins. The Big Ten title game against Wisconsin jumps to the front of my memory. Haymakers like those absolutely demoralize an opponent. But sometimes it’s the chipping away at a defense that can trouble an opponent even more.
Dobbins was integral in the defeat versus Michigan in 2017. When the offense sputtered, it was Dobbins that got the call. He’s almost perfect for the (recently one-sided) rivalry that is Ohio State-Michigan because of his physical running style. Those three, four and five-yard gains that Dobbins earned against the Wolverines helped chew clock and speed up the game.
And after absorbing contact from a downhill-running, 200-pound back all game, the Wolverines were bound to get gashed eventually. This is what opponents are stuck dealing with. Maintaining Dobbins between the tackles, but not letting him break loose because he’ll bowl right over defenders if he doesn’t elude them altogether.