Ohio State Football: 5 Toughest RBs Buckeyes Will Face in 2016

Ohio State will face a lethally talented crop of running backs this fall—a group that's headlined by Penn State's Saquon Barkley, Oklahoma's Samaje Perine and Northwestern's Justin Jackson.

Stopping (or even limiting) these talented ball-carriers will be a huge challenge for a defense that's replacing eight total starters, five of which are in the front seven. Superstar defensive end Joey Bosa and hole-clogging defensive tackle Adolphus Washington won't be back in 2016, so the Buckeyes need to find game-ready successors right out of the gate.

If co-defensive coordinators Luke Fickell and Greg Schiano fail to do so, these five running backs could shred the Buckeyes defense this season.

No. 5: Corey Clement

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

It seems like all Wisconsin does is churn out elite running backs these days. 

That trend started during the Barry Alverez era, when the likes of Ron Dayne and an aggressive, over-sized offensive line bulldozed through the Big Ten. Former head coach Bret Bielema maintained that same identity, as did Gary Andersen (with a bit more flash in Melvin Gordon).

Now with Paul Chryst at the helm, that run-first mentality is at the forefront of the team's strategy, and running back Corey Clement should be the huge beneficiary. 

Clement's breakout season was supposed to happen last year. He backed up Gordon admirably in 2014, running for 949 yards and nine touchdowns on just 147 carries as a reserve. But he battled a lingering ankle injury throughout the course of his 2015 campaign, missing nine games and running for just 221 yards and five touchdowns in a disappointing junior season.

The running back looked like he was returning to form against USC in the Holiday Bowl, though, running for a game-high 66 yards and a touchdown in a 23-21 upset win. And with a full offseason to recover before his final year in Madison, Clement is on the verge of bouncing back and having a huge season for the Badgers.

Wisconsin will host Ohio State on October 15.

No. 4: LJ Scott

Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

Michigan State used a running-back-by-committee approach in 2015, featuring a trio of underclassmen to set the tone for its physical offensive style.

And while Gerald Holmes (who ran for 540 yards and eight touchdowns) and Madre London (500, three) proved productive in their roles, then-true freshman LJ Scott showed the most promise and looked most like a featured back.

Scott led the Spartans with 146 carries for 699 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, but he came on strong down the stretch. He was at his best during the most important drive of the season, when the Spartans executed an incredible 22-play, 82-yard game-clinching drive against Iowa to secure a 16-13 win, the Big Ten Championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff.

Scott scored the go-ahead touchdown, putting the exclamation point on a 22-carry, 73-yard performance against a vicious Iowa defense. 

Both Holmes and London are back with Scott in 2016, but with the way the 2015 season ended, it's Scott who has the most momentum in the Spartans backfield. And if he can take a step forward in 2016, the Buckeyes will have their hands full when they travel to East Lansing in Week 12.

No. 3: Justin Jackson

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

After back-to-back seven-loss seasons from 2013-14, Northwestern had a huge bounce-back year in 2015, winning 10 games and finishing second in a closely contested Big Ten West Division.

A big part of that success, though, was the sensational play of running back Justin Jackson.

The speedy back is undersized, checking in at 5'11" and 185 pounds, but he runs much bigger than his measurables indicate. The sophomore gashed his way through Big Ten defenses last year, running for 1,418 yards to complement five touchdowns.

His best game came at home against Penn State, when he ran for a career-high 186 yards in a close 23-21 win.

That kind of effort will be needed for the Wildcats, who will try to spring an upset over the Buckeyes in Ohio Stadium on October 29.

No. 2: Saquon Barkley

Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

After squaring off last October, Saquon Barkley knows he can do what he wants against Ohio State's defense. 

As a true freshman in Penn State's offense, Barkley showed no signs of intimidation when the Nittany Lions traveled to Columbus for a prime-time showdown with the Buckeyes. Barkley was the only player who shined for Penn State that night, consistently gashing Ohio State's defense to the tune of a career-high 194 yards on 26 carries.

It was a huge accomplishment for a true freshman ball-carrier who finished his first season with 1,076 yards and seven touchdowns. Those numbers are even more impressive when you factor in that he played in just 11 games, one of which he only received one carry. 

But Barkley hasn't been resting on his laurels this offseason. Now a sophomore, he set the tone in winter conditioning and spring practice, proving himself as the fastest player on the team and setting a program benchmark by power-cleaning a remarkable 390 pounds.

After last year's breakout game against Ohio State, Barkley will be eager for another crack at a younger defense with less star power. And this time around, the Buckeyes will be visiting Penn State in Week 8 under the lights in prime time.

No. 1: Samaje Perine

Sue Ogrocki/Associated Press

The most dangerous running back Ohio State will face in 2016 is the featured back in the most dangerous offense it will see all season.

The Buckeyes' Week 3 road trip to Oklahoma has a number of intriguing storylines, but one of the underlying things to watch will be running back Samaje Perine, and how Ohio State's new-look front seven tries to contain him.

Perine burst onto the scene as a true freshman in 2014, running for an incredible 1,714 yards and 21 touchdowns. He set the major college football single-game rushing record in the 11th game of his collegiate career, running through and around the Kansas defense for an eye-popping 427 yards and five touchdowns on just 34 carries. 

His encore season in 2015 didn't reach the heights set the previous year, mainly due to a lingering ankle injury, but he still managed to run for 1,349 yards and 16 touchdowns. 

Perine underwent surgery to repair that injured ankle this winter, but he's expected to make a full recovery and be back at full health this fall. And if he returns to form quickly, Ohio State's defense will need to be at its absolute best when it travels to Norman on September 17.