PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. — Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins is just 99 yards away from setting the single season rushing record at OSU, which is currently held by 1995 Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George.
- Dobbins is close to breaking a record held by George for 25 years
- George says while it’s bittersweet to get passed in the record books, it’s awesome because it couldn’t have been done by a better man
- George sees a close contest between the Tigers and Buckeyes, but did say he thinks the Buckeyes are going to prevail
George has held that record for the last 24 years, and he knows it’s just a matter of time before Dobbins surpasses him.
“It’s always bittersweet, of course you want to hang onto records forever, but like the old cliche goes, records are made to be broken,” George said. “It couldn’t be broken by a finer young man.”
George couldn’t be happier for Dobbins and all the success he’s seen in his career as a Buckeye. But he thinks Dobbins hasn’t seen enough recognition for all he’s done in his three years in Columbus.
“I don’t think he’s gotten the credit he’s deserved, nationally speaking in terms of awards, so forth,” he said. “But certainly, he’s definitely one of the greatest Buckeyes to ever put on a uniform.”
Dobbins is using the disrespect as motivation for the rest of the season.
“Definitely have a chip on my shoulder,” Dobbins said. “I don’t want to prove anything to anyone else but myself. I’m one of the best in the nation. I would like to do that to help my team win as well.”
George was at the Fiesta Bowl media headquarters doing a radio spot for Sirius XM, breaking down a game he thinks could go either way.
“I just see a high-scoring game,” George said. “One that’s tough to figure out who has the edge because Clemson has the experience. They’re built for games like this. They look forward to playing in the National Championship game, and so forth. Ohio State, the same thing. They have a chip on their shoulder, with an outstanding defense led by Chase Young, a great back-end and secondary. Their offensive line is probably the best in the country. It really comes down to which team is going to make the least mistakes and who establishes control in terms of the line of scrimmage.”
He sees a close game, but of course the Buckeye legend picked Ohio State to pick up the win.
“I’m gonna say Ohio State 38-35,” George said.
