We’ve been going through a series here at Buckeyes Wire. It’s a debate on which Ohio State football player is the best to wear specific jersey numbers, and we’re cruising along, now up to jersey No. 15 as we count down towards the hopeful start of college football in 2020.
Before we get into all the fun, here’s an update on where we stand with the jersey numbers we’ve debated to date:
Jersey No. 1 | Jersey No. 2 | Jersey No. 3 | Jersey No. 4 | Jersey No. 5 | Jersey No. 6 | Jersey No. 7 | Jersey No. 8 | Jersey No. 9 | Jersey No. 10 | Jersey No. 11 | Jersey No. 12 | Jersey No. 13 | Jersey No. 14
We’re doing this because while the world is beginning to slowly open, we’re all a little stir crazy from cabin fever due to the measures put in place to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. Thank goodness the world is slowly starting to reopen. I mean, how many virtual Madden tournaments can we watch anyhow?
But we digress. In the long, illustrious history of Ohio State football, there is sure to be some disagreement, but that only makes it more fun.
We will continue to keep going along his journey through the summer and will have the results of all of these surveys further down the road. And of course, to help us out, feel free to vote below as usual.
Okay, Mark, start us off right …
Next … Mark’s thoughts
Contact/Follow Mark Russell
Pretty easy here… “85 yards through the heart of the south!” The best to wear No. 15 in Scarlet and Gray – Ezekiel Elliott.
Zeke was so fun to watch as a complete running back. He was patient behind the line, then hit the hole with lightning strike quickness. He was a threat in the passing game. He was even fun to watch taking on blockers in pass protection.
But it was the three-game stretch at the end of his sophomore season that really set him apart. In wins against Wisconsin, Alabama, and Oregon, Elliott would run for 696 yards and eight touchdowns and lead the Buckeyes to the first-ever College Football Playoff national championship.
Regardless of number, Ezekiel Elliott is one of the best ever to suit up in Ohio State history.
Next … Brock’s rebuttal
Contact/Follow Brock Netter
I agree. This is easy. It’s Ezekiel Elliott.
All-American. National Champion.
Now we just wait for his jersey to be retired.
See you guys for No. 16.
Next … Phil wraps it up
Contact/Follow Phil Harrison
I can’t argue, even though I’d love to. What I often find funny is that Elliott wasn’t even in the conversation for best running back in the Big Ten prior to his sleighing of defenses during the 2014 postseason. Guys Indiana’s Tevin Coleman, Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin, Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah, David Cobb of Minnesota, and Michigan State’s Jeremy Langford got more publicity during the regular season.
And then Elliott went off in the postseason as Mark so adeptly points out.
From there, Zeke got plenty of attention during 2015 and ended up being the first running back off the board in the 2016 NFL Draft — heading to the Dallas Cowboys where he has won a couple of rushing titles.
Elliott led the Big Ten in rushing in 2015, and left the Ohio State program as No. 2 all-time in total yards gained on the ground behind just Archie Griffin (now No. 3 behind J.K. Dobbins). He sits 3rd and 4th in program history in single-season rushing yards. And it could have been more.
Elliott was hampered a bit with recovery from a wrist injury and got off to a slow start in 2014. It’ spar of the reason why he didn’t get as many opportunities earlier in the season.
In 2015, Elliott’s list of awards and accolades stand out. He was named the Big Ten’s Offensive Player of the Year, Most Valuable Player of the Year, and Running Back of the Year. He was honored as an All-Big Ten First teamer, Second-Team All-American, and took home the James E. Sullivan Award as the country’s most outstanding amateur athlete.
He’s also a multiple-time Pro-Bowler in the NFL. He was pretty good and the current flag-bearer for jersey No. 15 at Ohio State. As honorable mention though, wide-receiver Dee Miller, and quarterbacks Mike Tomczak and Greg Fry were pretty good too.
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