Ohio State Football: Why Dan Herron Has Turned Buckeyes Back into Contenders

There is no substitute for experience. That is what Ohio State fans learned when Dan Herron returned to the Buckeye lineup three games ago when it seemed the Buckeyes were at their lowest point in their history.

All that has happened since then is three straight wins, including one of the greatest plays in OSU football history.

And there is one common thread in those three games: Dan Herron has been a huge factor.

He has rushed for more than 100 yards in all three games he has played this season and scored two touchdowns.

His return has been a shot in the arm to an Ohio State offense that looked lifeless at times for the last few weeks prior to Herron's return.

Ohio State's passing offense is still pedestrian under freshman QB Braxton Miller and an inexperienced group of WRs, but hopefully DeVier Posey's return next week against Penn State will have a similar effect.

But even with a passing attack ranked third-worst in the FBS, if OSU can run for 300 yards every week, it has a shot to contend for the Big Ten championship once again.

It's not just the talent that Boom brings to the team that has given the Buckeyes new life, it's his leadership and experience.

He's started in two BCS bowl games and helped win two Big Ten titles at Ohio State as a starter.

And based on what he has shown in the last three games, Herron has proven that even in a deep stable of running backs, he is the best. Herron looks fresh in a point of the season when bodies start to wear down. And to be this fresh in November when championships are decided is humongous.

His return coupled with the amazing growth of Miller in the past few weeks has helped rejuvenate Ohio State and make it into a team that has a great shot to win the Leaders Division.

With Penn State's schedule and the immediate future of Joe Paterno in doubt, the window for Ohio State to jump in, win its final three game and reach the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis is very much a real possibility.

But the biggest difference Herron brings to a young team is confidence: the confidence of knowing where to go and how to get there.

Despite the transgressions that caused him to miss the first six games of his senior season, Herron has played inspired football and that has rubbed off on his young teammates.

That's what experienced leaders do.

And that's what he has done at the most opportune time for a team that looked dead in the water after the collapse at Nebraska.

But the Boom has come back with a bang, and that may help to save Ohio State and if not help it win the Big Ten for an unprecedented seventh straight season, at least put it in the position to do so.

Given the problems that have plagued the Buckeyes since December 2010, this is more than any Buckeye fan could have hoped for.

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