Ohio State’s ground game has found a different gear in Big Ten play, and Ja’Kobi Jackson has been a big reason why.
The Buckeyes opened the season averaging 4.6 yards per carry through their first three games, but that number comes with a catch. Strip out two 40-plus-yard runs against Ball State in the opener, and the average falls to 3.5. For a top-5 team that had already seen two lower-end FBS opponents at home, that was enough to raise eyebrows.
The run game was already under the microscope heading into conference play, especially with new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith expected to lean on it more than Ohio State had in past seasons. But after wins over Illinois and Iowa, the rushing attack has looked far more efficient.
The offensive line deserves plenty of credit for being more physical at the point of attack. So does the growing impact of Jackson, who has brought a different kind of juice to the backfield while splitting reps with Bo Jackson.
After logging fewer than 10 carries in the first three games, the senior has run 24 times for 128 yards and two touchdowns to open Big Ten play.
That matters because Ohio State’s offense is built around getting the ball to Jeremiah Smith, who currently leads the nation in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns. To create more chances for him downfield, the Buckeyes need the run game to stay on schedule, win first down, and open up play-action looks. When first-down runs stall, that whole plan gets harder to execute.
Jackson helped loosen things up against Iowa on Saturday, averaging 6 yards per carry against a defense that has made life difficult for plenty of run games. His inside running forced Iowa to commit more bodies to the box, which in turn gives Ohio State more room to work deeper into the passing game.
At 220 pounds, Jackson has been a load between the tackles. He’s running with the kind of power that makes him tough to bring down once he gets moving, and he’s also making quick decisions before defenses can close down the lane. That combination has let him get to the crease and keep churning forward for extra yards.
Bo Jackson remains part of the conversation, too. Ryan Day talked in the offseason about the explosive ability he had added, but that big-play trait has shown up only once so far this year: a 65-yard touchdown against Ball State in the second half of Week 1.
He still needs to be more decisive and do a better job breaking open-field tackles. But sharing the workload may help there as well, keeping his legs fresher as the season moves deeper into conference play. After handling more than 60 percent of the carries against Texas in Week 2, he has not gone above 5 percent in any game since.
That may reflect Ohio State giving other backs more chances while Bo Jackson works through some uneven play. It also gives him a chance to stay fresh and healthy for later in the year.
The passing game is still the engine of this offense, but the Buckeyes are getting more dangerous if the run game can generate a few more explosive plays and make the field easier to attack. With Devin McCuin showing what he can do in open space last week, the backfield rotation is becoming even more important.
The split backfield is worth watching as Big Ten play rolls on, and Ja’Kobi Jackson has clearly become a key piece of what Ohio State wants to do on the ground.
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