BUCKEYES NOTEBOOK

Meyer praises running back

Hyde, OSU improve on Big Ten-leading rushing attack

12/1/2013

BY DAVID BRIGGS
BLADE SPORTS WRITER

Ohio State running back Carlos Hyde (34) celebrates after scoring the final touchdown for the Buckeyes against Michigan during the fourth quarter. He ran for a game-high 226 yards.

BLADE/ANDY MORRISON

Ohio State running back Carlos Hyde (34) celebrates after scoring the final touchdown for the Buckeyes against Michigan during the fourth quarter. He ran for a game-high 226 yards.

COLUMBUS — Ohio State coach Urban Meyer knows there are any number of dynamic running backs out there, citing Boston College 2,000-yard rusher Andre Williams as Exhibit A.

"But if we have a draft, I’ve got my running back," Meyer said.

PHOTO GALLERY: Click here to view images from 'The Game'

Explosion of offense a welcome sight for UM

UM NOTEBOOK: Players back 2-point decision

Carlos Hyde and the Buckeyes improved on a rushing average that was already eye-popping in the Buckeyes’ 42-41 win over Michigan on Saturday.

OSU, which entered leading the Big Ten and ranking No. 5 in the FBS with 314.7 ground yards per game, piled up 393 net rushing yards against Michigan. And Hyde was again the star, carrying 27 times for 226 yards. It was the highest total for an OSU running back in the 110-year history of the rivalry against Michigan.

“It means a lot,” Hyde said. “But I want to give credit to my offensive line. It was a great, great job. They made history with me.”

Hyde entered the game leading the Big Ten with a 146.1-yard rushing average.

TFL LEADER: Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier added 1½ tackles for losses and now leads the Big Ten with 21 stops behind the line of scrimmage.

Shazier led all tacklers Saturday with 14 total stops, including seven solo hits. C.J. Barnett, a safety, also finished in double figures with 11 total tackles.

“We got the win; that’s all that mattered,” Shazier said. “But [Michigan] looked like a different team. You know, anytime we play ‘That Team Up North,’ it’s like they’re 0-0 and we’re 0-0, and both teams are doing whatever they can to get the win.”

Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller scores a touchdown as Michigan defensive back Blake Countess tries to stop him.

Shazier, though, said the defense was far from satisfied after allowing 600-plus yards.

"We're pretty disappointed because we're a lot better than that," he said. "We had too much emotion in the beginning of the game."

SCARLET FEVER: It was not quite the full-blown invasion some Michigan fans feared.

But a healthy share of scarlet still splotched the stadium, with more than 20,000 OSU fans taking advantage of a friendly ticket market. Tickets that once began at $230 as part of Michigan’s dynamic pricing plan could be snagged for a tenth of that by kickoff.

An hour before the game, tickets went on StubHub for as low as $25 while scalpers reportedly fared no better.

IN THE WATER: Just how good is football in the Buckeye State these days?

With OSU's school-record 24th straight win, Ohio schools own the the longest winning streak at two levels of college football — and had its national-best streak at a third broken on Saturday.

Ohio Dominican, coached by former Buckeyes assistant Bill Conley, saw its 15-game winning streak fall in the Division II playoffs while Mount Union advanced in the Division III tournament with its 26th straight win — a 56-21 victory over Wittenberg.

EXTRA POINTS: No border-crossers returned home Saturday. While Michigan has 24 Ohioans on its roster, the Buckeyes claim only one player from Michigan — freshman offensive lineman Ben Moffitt. The walk-on from Shelby Township is not on the travel roster. ... Ohio State’s big-play burner delivered again. With junior receiver Devin Smith’s 53-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter, the former Ohio state champion track star has averaged 39.8 yards per catch on his 18 career TDs. ... Michigan still leads the all-time series 58-45-6, but OSU has a 33-27-2 edge since 1951 — the year Woody Hayes took over as coach. Those numbers exclude Ohio State’s 2010 vacated win.