Ohio State Buckeyes still need to figure out running back rotation soon

The Ohio State Buckeyes need to figure out what the deal is with the running back room.

Through eight weeks of the 2025 season, the team has four running backs with over 100 rushing yards on the season, two of which sit in the 200-yard mark and one who's up over 400. This four-headed monster of a rushing attack consists of freshmen Bo Jackson and Isaiah West, sophomore James Peoples and senior CJ Donaldson.

The group has been efficient, but outside of Jackson, it hasn't been elite.

This past week, Ohio State opted to give West a chance to show his worth where he led the rushing attack with nine carries for 55 yards, both season-high marks.

The Buckeyes as a whole sit 7-0 on the campaign with the No. 1 ranking in the AP poll, primarily due to the impressive play from sophomore Julian Sayin and lockdown play of the defense. If the team can get the rushing game to be more stable, they have a chance to be completely unstoppable.

So, what do the Buckeyes have to do in order to fix the running back room?

Fortunately, not much.

It is obvious that both Jackson and West are the future.

Jackson currently has 68 carries for 433 yards, an average of 6.4 yards per attempt, with a long of 64 yards and two touchdowns. He also has been involved in the receiving game, hauling in over 100 yards and one score. Each time he touches the football, he does good things with it.

West led the team in rushing yards against the Wisconsin Badgers in the 34-0, shutout win. He is now up to 21 carries for 104 yards, an average of 5.0 yards per attempt with one touchdown on the season. That lone touchdown came in the late stages of the Buckeyes' win over Grambling State back in the early stages of the season.

When looking at Donaldson and Peoples, they both don't compare to what Jackson and West have provided. Donaldson has 259 yards on 60 carres, a team-low average of 4.2 yards an attempt. However, he does have six touchdowns as the coaching staff has opted to give him the ball in short-yardage situations.

Peoples sits third in carries with 40 for 202 yards, an average of 5.1 yards an attempt. He is the only running back to not find the endzone this season as he has the third-lowest amount of snaps, ahead of just West.

But with the team turning to the freshman West on Saturday, it may be a sign that the coaching staff is moving away from Peoples.

The most realistic look at the future sees Jackson remaining as the lead back for the Buckeyes, with Donaldson and West fighting for reps as the No. 2 and 3 backs. However, it really should just be Jackson and West.

Both have a much higher ceiling than Donaldson and Peoples, with Donaldson in the final year of his college career anyways.

The room for growth and development favors Jackson and West, both of which aren't on short leashes due to being first-years.

The passing game led by Sayin has been incredibly efficient, so the Buckeyes may as well keep testing what they have in the rushing attack, especially considering they don't have much to lose. The rest of the country is already stuck in a choke hold with Ohio State continuing to tighten its grip.

If the rushing game can be more consistent, this team might form itself into the best in college football history.

Next up, the Buckeyes prepare for a week of relaxation and practice before they take on Penn State on Saturday, Nov. 1. The time for the game has not yet been released with the game being played at The Shoe.