4. JK Dobbins
JK Dobbins set quite a few Ohio State records in his three seasons in Columbus from 2017 through 2019. He had the second-most career rushing attempts (724) in Ohio State history behind only Archie Griffin (924). His 4,459 career rushing yards are second to Archie (5,589), too.
He is the only 2,000-yard rusher in Ohio State history, and his 2,003 yards in 2019 are an Ohio State single-season record. His 301 carries that year are third all-time in Buckeye history. The only reason Dobbins isn’t higher on this list is because the three guys above him have national championship rings.
5. Carlos Hyde
Hyde had a huge impact at Ohio State in 2012 and 2013. He and Braxton Miller were the biggest reasons Ohio State won 24 straight games in those two seasons, and why there was no long dip in the Buckeye program from Jim Tressel to Urban Meyer. Recruited by Tressel, they stayed at Ohio State when he was gone and Meyer was new.
Like Zeke, Buckeye fans will forever wish he got more carries against MSU, because they know it would have led to more championships. Hyde would finish his Buckeye career with 523 carries for 3,198 yards and 37 touchdowns. He also caught 34 passes for 371 yards and four touchdowns.
6. Beanie Wells
Wells was the rushing game for Ohio State in 2007. In one of the few years Ohio State didn’t have a mobile quarterback, he rushed for 1,609 yards and 15 touchdowns and took the Buckeyes to the national championship game.
Wells would finish his time at Ohio State with 3,382 yards and 30 touchdowns. He’ll be especially remembered for breaking the backs of That Team Up North with a touchdown run of 50+ yards in each contest against them, rushing for 412 yards and four touchdowns, and going 3-0.
7. Jonathan Wells
Jonathan Wells (no relation to Beanie) started the Buckeye revolution of this century with Jim Tressel. Together, they set the tone for what this program was going to be about for the next 20+ years. Wells had 1,257 yards and 15 touchdowns in his senior season, and Tressel’s first in 2001.
None were bigger than the 125 yards and three touchdowns he had as the Buckeyes won in Ann Arbor for the first time since 1987, 26-21. The score wouldn’t have been that close had Wells not been hurt for most of the second half. He carried the Buckeyes to a win that is still impacting every season after it.