We welcome Jane Niday to the fold again and this time with a pretty awesome comparison between the two running backs in the Fiesta Bowl. Jane is a part of a pretty clear presence of four ladies on twitter and they refer to themselves as the BSU! Later today we will see match-up articles from Diana and Lindsay as well.
The last time the Clemson Tigers and our beloved Buckeyes met on the gridiron was in January of 2014. The Buckeyes had come off of a loss to Sparty in the B1G Ten Championship game and they were feeling a bit salty. If you are a Buckeye fan, the image of Urban looking completely dejected eating cold pizza on a golf cart is emblazoned in your memory.
This bowl game against the Tigers was to be a game of revenge of sorts for the team, the coach and the fans. It didn’t work out that way. Braxton Miller was hurt, our defense was exposed and when time ran out, we were the team with the lesser score. At the time of this bowl game, Mike Weber was still at Cass Tech in that state up North still thinking he was going to be a Wolverine. And, as we all know, Weber never wore the maize and blue!
Mike Weber Jr.(season)
In high school Mike Weber was phenomenal, piling up over 2,000 yards his senior year and 29 touchdowns. Had he not missed 3 games, those numbers would catapult. In his post season play that year, he ran for just shy of 900 yards and 13 TD’s for Cass Tech.
As a freshman he red-shirted. The 2016 season Weber has come on strong for the Buckeyes. His average carry has been 6.1 yards with 9 rushing TD’s and over 1000 yards. Two weeks this season found him receiving B1G Ten Freshman of the week honors. Of note, only two other running backs, Maurice Clarett and Robert Smith, have produced 1000 yards rushing as a freshman. Weber is well on his way.
Wayne Gallman(season)
Wayne is a junior running back for Clemson that was recruited out of Georgia. He has rushed for 1000 yards this 2016 football season with 18 rushing touchdowns, averaging 5.1 yards per carry. Wayne did have a great 2015 season with 1500 yards.
The Match-up
The first difference in the two running backs is age, a slight edge on size and experience. Gallman being a junior and Weber a red-shirt freshman. However, when comparing their freshman year stats, Mike outshines Gallman. Wayne ran for 800 yards, rushed for 4 TD’s and started in 9 of 13 games.
This season, (Gallman’s junior year), they seem fairly evenly matched when looking at statistics. I do believe that the Buckeyes played a tougher schedule, which could prove to benefit Weber. Experience in big games goes a long way though and Gallman played in the championship game last year.
Wayne Gallman versus Mike Weber is a close call. Gallman has a Heisman runner-up quarterback next to him that is a weapon in and of itself. Conversely, Weber is surrounded by a plethora of offensive ammunition that can help open up holes for him to make the big play. Even though age and experience are a huge factor, I believe Weber to be the best running back of the two.
Predicted Results
In regard to score, I have to go with my Buckeyes. I do think it will be a barn burner and down to the wire with a narrow margin.
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