RB Respect Month Vol. 2, Day Ten: Carlos Hyde puts the Buckeyes on his back vs Michigan (2013)

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Welcome to day ten of Running Back Respect Month™! Yesterday, we explored how Troy Davis could run for 2,000 yards in consecutive seasons and not win the Heisman. Here's where we're at today, and how the rest of the month looks:

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Today: Carlos Hyde vs. Michigan (2013)

Ohio State's 2013 run game was a machine. The Buckeyes' 308.6 yards per game ranked fifth nationally - almost a full nine yards ahead of Georgia Tech's triple option (299.7). In fact, outside of national-leader Auburn (328.4, peak Gus Malzahn run game), the other three teams in the top five (Army, Navy, New Mexico) all ran the triple. Ohio State's smashmouth spread was right there with all them, pacing the country in yards per carry (6.8) while finishing second in rushing yards (4,321) and fifth in rushing touchdowns (45).

Running back Carlos Hyde was at the forefront of that ground attack. Hyde gained 1,521 yards in just 11 games –he was suspended the first three– giving the Buckeyes a rugged presence to match the explosiveness of quarterback Braxton Miller. Whenever they needed a play, it felt like Hyde was always the one to literally carry them through. (Just don't ask about Tom Herman's fourth-and-one call in the Big Ten Championship.) That was especially true in Ohio State's 42-41 win at Michigan, where Hyde's 226-yard day kept their BCS National Title hopes alive: