Ohio State offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson says Master Teague and Trey Sermon will have a 50/50 split at running back, but either way, the Buckeyes are in a great spot. When Teague went down with his Achilles injury there were some question of whether he be ready for 2020. Demario McCall, Marcus Crowley, and the rest were possibly going to fight it out for the starting spot. Then transfers happened and that all changed.
Before the conversation picked up steam, Sermon’s name popped up in the transfer portal, and the next thing anyone knew, he was headed to Columbus. Then, Master Teague went Master Teague on everyone and worked so hard to get ahead of schedule with his rehab. And the Buckeyes, so to speak, were off to the races.
Everyone was excited to see what the entire running back corps would look like in spring ball, then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Surely we would see more at the end of summer, but that was not to be either. So Buckeye Nation waited with bated breath to see if there would even be a season. The Big Ten finally decided there would in fact be a season, and practices ramped up significantly.
And now here we are with Teague and Sermon.
Both offer things a little different, and both it sounds like both could play huge roles on offense. Teague is more of the traditional style running back. He is compact, has great vision, pass blocks, and has a lower center of gravity. Sermon is more of the pass-catching, upright style running back we tend to see in the Big 12.
Teague has the experience in this offense, so he might have a leg up. However, Sermon has looked so good it would be hard keeping him off the field, so perhaps 50/50 is indeed closer to the truth. It sounds like we’re going to see a rotation to best utilize both backs’ skill sets according to the situation.
Trey Sermon, Master Teague expected to get equal carries this fall https://t.co/j5YA8uD9wH
— Buckeyes Wire (@BuckeyesWire) September 25, 2020
There are injury concerns for both, but if one has to sit out, the Buckeyes won’t lose a ton in the running game. Having both available creates an absolute nightmare for opposing defenses. Add what they can do running the ball in combination with a passing game that’s going to be lights out, and it’s pick your poison.
So while we start full-contact practice on Wednesday, keep an eye on the running backs. We know there will probably not be a clear-cut starter right away, or perhaps all season, and that is totally okay. Sermon and Teague are a wealth of riches any coach would love to have.
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