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J.K. Dobbins becomes first Ohio State player to ever rush for over 2,000 yards in a season

Kevin Cunningham

By Kevin Cunningham

Published:

J.K. Dobbins is a junior running back at Ohio state and he likely isn’t feeling too well the day after his 2019 season came to an end. The Buckeyes lost to Clemson 29-23 Saturday night.

Regardless of the outcome, Dobbins, to start, had a night to remember. He needed 99 rushing yards to pass Eddie George to become Ohio State’s leading rusher in a single season. He accomplished that feat in the first quarter.

RELATED: J.K. Dobbins breaks Eddie George’s single-season rushing record at Ohio State 

Injuries took place over the course of the game, but once the final whistle blew, Dobbins not only became the Buckeyes’ best rusher in a single season — he also became the first Buckeye to rush for over 2,000 yards in one season:

He is also the eighth player in Big Ten history to do this. As a junior, this is quite impressive. Running backs’ playing careers are short. We all know this. The toll they take on their bodies becomes overwhelming at a certain point.

They get hit too much. It’s really that simple.

Can Dobbins return to Columbus for 2020 and try to right a few wrongs? Absolutely.

But if he were to leave Ohio State early for the NFL and finish with a 2,003-yard, 21 rushing touchdown season, nobody should blame him. The season itself may have ended in disappointment for Dobbins and Ohio State.

But years from now, he can look back and appreciate the kind of season he had — a season no other Buckeye has ever been able to accomplish.

Kevin Cunningham

Kevin covers Big Ten football for Saturday Tradition.