Ohio State Football: What You Need to Know About Buckeyes RB Carlos Hyde

Any good offense not only needs a good quarterback, but an equally talented player in the backfield capable of making dependable plays.

For Braxton Miller, that man is Carlos Hyde.

Hyde will start at running back to begin the season because of the foot injury Jordan Hall sustained before the start of fall camp.

Hall is the more shifty of the two backs, but Hyde is a big, big guy.

At 235 lbs, Hyde is certainly a power back, but he also has deceptive speed for a player of his size.

In a way, he looks a little bit like a poor man's Beanie Wells, without of course the open-field shiftiness and one of the best stiff-arm moves you'll ever see.

Hyde got a chance to show what he was made of last season, as he got significant playing time during the suspensions of Hall and Dan Herron at the start of last year. He made sure to put that time to good use.

In 13 games played, Hyde carried the ball 106 times for 556 yards and six touchdowns, including a 63-yard touchdown run in the road loss at Nebraska in Week 6. His 5.3 yards per carry were a team-best a year ago.

Hyde does not really fit the mold of the prototypical running back in Urban Meyer's spread-option offense, which is more geared toward smaller, quicker runners with game-breaking speed.

But in a short-yardage situation, having a big back like Hyde in the arsenal is an extra bonus.

Hyde is expected to carry a heavy load early in the season, as he will be a fixture in the running game along with Miller.

He was one of the bright spots of a 2009 recruiting class—even though he didn't make it to Columbus until 2010—that has been a little bit of a disappointment considering how many talented prospects were brought in.

Hyde is a little more of a conventional, pro-style power back. His surprising speed in the open field should raise some eyebrows and create some intrigue when it comes to the running game.

Most of the running plays are expected to be inside-zone reads, where Hyde's size can become a huge weapon. There aren't many backs in a spread system with his size, so that could add a wrinkle to the offense.

Whatever his role, Carlos Hyde has a good chance to build off of a solid second season at running back for the Buckeyes.

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