Ohio State vs. Penn State: Best QB-RB duel this season
Some teams have a great quarterback but aren’t strong at running back or vice-versa. Ohio State and Penn State have two of the best quarterbacks in the nation and extremely talented running backs. The QB-RB battle on Saturday will be fun to watch.
Saturday when Ohio State and Penn State face off, the winner will be the frontrunner to win the Big Ten East Division and the loser may be out of playoff consideration. The winner of the quarterback-running back battle could determine the outcome of the game. It could be the best such duel in college football this season.
Ohio State’s JT Barrett and Penn State’s Trace McSorley are two of the top quarterbacks in the nation. However one ranks them among the top-tier players at their position, there is no denying both are having terrific seasons.
First a look at McSorley’s season.
The Penn State quarterback got off to a fast start and has continued to roll leading his team to a 7-0 record. McSorley has completed 66.8 percent of his passes for 1,879 yards and 14 touchdowns while only throwing 5 interceptions. He has also rushed for 254 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Barrett got off to a rocky start with his poor performance against Oklahoma the second game of the season. Since then, he has played at a high level that compares to any quarterback in the country. Barrett has thrown for 15 scores and no picks the last five games while only averaging three quarters of playing time per game.
For the season, the Buckeye quarterback’s passing stats are; !,827 yards, a 66.5 completion percentage, 21 TD passes with only 1 interception. He has contributed 370 yards and 5 scores on the ground as well.
It should be a great duel between the two quarterbacks, but the battle between the running backs could be just as interesting.
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Penn State running back Saquon Barkley is the leading contender for the Heisman Trophy, and he should be. Barkley brings the trifecta of skills to the running back position, power, speed and pass catching ability, few college players possess.
For the season Barkley has rushed 117 times for 757 yards and 8 touchdowns. He has also caught 32 passes for 448 yards and 3 scores. He definitely is the best all-around running back in the country.
JK Dobbins is having a phenomenal freshman season and has the potential to match Barkley yard for yard. He has rushed for 775 yards and 5 touchdowns, and caught 7 passes for 65 yards. And to help out the freshman, who hasn’t yet been through a Big Ten stretch drive like Barkley has, he will be aided by a player who has.
Mike Weber is back and apparently at 100 percent. Urban Meyer worked the sophomore back into the mix before the bye week and he performed well.
Evidently his hamstring is now completely healed and he is in game shape. With last year’s 1,000 yard running back combining with Dobbins, the combo should give Barkley a run for his money.
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It is certainly setting up to be a tremendous QB-RB duel when Ohio State and Penn State collide on Saturday. In fact, it may be the best such battle in college football this season.