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Ohio State Unlikely to Risk Justin Fields as Rusher vs. Maryland

No. 1 Buckeyes, favored by 44 points, can be careful with their QB

With 44-point underdog Maryland next on No. 1 Ohio State's schedule and bigger-underdog-than-that Rutgers on the horizon, you're probably not going to see OSU quarterback Justin Fields much in the second half of the next two games and there's a part of his game you're unlikely to see much of at all.

Fields, who despite being the nation's No. 2 recruit in 2018 has nevertheless been better than anticipated, isn't worth risking as a rusher over the next fortnight as the Buckeyes (8-0) bear down on a 10-0 start entering the gristle on their regular-season schedule.

Head coach Ryan Day has been judicious so far in using Fields, his only viable national-championship caliber quarterback, on Zone Reads and other called runs amid the demolition of every opponent OSU has played.

 The Buckeyes have been out of danger at halftime against only two opponents -- the only two ranked opponents they have played -- No. 25 Michigan State and No. 13 Wisconsin.

If you think it's a coincidence that Fields carried a career-high 13 times against the Badgers, and 11 times against MSU, then you missed how openly Day admitted in the pre-season that balancing Fields' talents as a rusher against the risk of getting him injured was a vexing equation to decifer.

"That's coach Day's job, that's not my job," Fields said of how he's employed. " My job is just to do what Coach Day asks me to do to the best of my abilities. Whether we run in certain situations, that's for Coach Day to decide."

Running backs J.K. Dobbins and Master Teague supply more than enough punch to get OSU past Maryland at noon Saturday in Ohio Stadium, and past woeful Rutgers the following week.

They may also be enough to brush aside No. 4 Penn State and No. 14 Michigan, but that task would seem markedly easier if Fields forces the Lions and Wolverines to account for him.

He has, after all, scored nine rushing touchdowns this season, including one in every game except against Northwestern.

Wisconsin, however, inflicted a nasty shot on Fields as he crossed the goal line, which left him gimpy for days after that 38-7 victory.

"I think you’re finding out as the season progresses just how tough he is as you face tougher opponents," OSU quarterbacks coach Mike Yurcich said. "The Wisconsin game, obviously, he showed a lot of grit, a lot of toughness, he took some hits."

There's no reason for Fields to incur any more than necessary against two hopelessly-overmatched opponents.

Against Wisconsin, he carried only once more after getting blasted, but the score was only 17-7 at the time and Day asked Fields if he could run him to keep the Badgers off guard.

“He’s tough; he’s gritty," Day said. "He said, ‘If you need me to run, I’ll run.’ We didn’t really run with him much after that, but he said he was willing to run, and it just goes how tough he i. I keep saying that, but the more I’m around him, the more I really respect how tough he is.”