Dobbins makes a splash in debut as Ohio State rolls

going to have 12, 13, 14 games, maybe 15, I don’t know. What happens in the first game is certainly important, but we’re going to have lots of press conferences in this room and you’re going to ask me the same question when we play the next big game. The only difference is that the next game that we play is going to be the biggest game for me.”

As if a matchup between national contenders wasn’t enough to turn up the hype to full blast, this will be the first game that actually counts in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the $1.5 billion mar- vel with an enormous, halo- like video board ringing the top of the massive structure.

There’s still the matter of the retractable roof, which isn’t fully functional and therefore will be closed Saturday, no matter the weather. But that not-so-little glitch is unlikely to dampen the enthusiasm for this game.

And let’s not forget: This is same place where the national championship game will be held in January.

While the Crimson Tide came up just shy of its fifth national title under Saban, losing 35-31 to Clemson in a championship game that came down to a last-second touchdown pass, the Seminoles are looking to re-establish a bit of their swagger.

A season ago, Florida State was embarrassed in a 63-20 rout at Louisville and lost home games to North Carolina and Clemson by a total of five points. The national champion in 2013 and a semi- finalist the following year in the first College Football Playoff, the Seminoles haven’t been serious title contender the last two seasons.

“This isn’t the only game,” defensive end Josh Sweat said, “but it definitely is a very big game, and everybody knows it is.” Some things to watch for: Jalen’s encore: Jalen Hurts won the Alabama quar- terback job after coming off the bench in last year’s season opener against Southern Cal. There’s no doubt about who’s No. 1 in Tuscaloosa these days. The sophomore is working with a new offensive coordinator, Brian Daboll, and the buzz from players and coaches has been about Hurts’ improved dropback passing, an area he struggled with late last season.

Protecting Francois: Florida State quarterback Deondre Francois was sacked 34 times last season due to a combination of factors — holding on to the ball too long, receivers run n ing and a lot of that has been the people around me giving me support.”

Mayfield’s targets

Mayfield no longer has Biletnikoff Award winner Dede Westbrook,, who is now with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he still has some dependable targets at receiver. Jeff Badet, a transfer from Kentucky, is the most likely candidate to fill Westbrook’s role as a deep threat. He caught 31 passes for 670 yards and four touchdowns last season for the Wildcats. Junior tight end Mark Andrews caught 31 passes for 489 yards and seven touchdowns in 2016.

New running backs

Oklaho ma has sent record-setting running backs Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon to the NFL. Four players are vying to fill their shoes — Rodney Anderson, Abdul Adams, Trey Sermon and Marcelius Sutton. Running backs coach Jay Boulware said the race for the starting job is too close to call.

“There’s no clear-cut leader,” he said. “Really and truly, those guys, you could put any one of them out there and they could make plays.” wrong routes, offensive line issues. Francois says he has done a better job of being able to read opposing defenses quicker and has a better rapport with Nyquan Murray and Auden Tate, who became the two main receivers. The offensive line also has a set group of starters for the first time in at least three seasons.

Gawking time: Saban and Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher aren’t the kind of coaches to leave a stone unturned, which includes making sure their players got any “gawking” out of their system during Friday’s walkthroughs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Mr. Versatility: Florida State safety Derwin James will be playing in his first game in nearly a year. Besides lining up at safety, the sophomore should see time at linebacker and on the defensive line along with being the punt returner. Fisher has also considered using James as a receiver.

Davis’ statu s : Saban shed little light on the status of defensive end Raekwon

s, who sustained a minor injury when he was shot in the leg outside a Tuscaloosa bar last weekend. Saban said the 6-foot-7, 306-pounder remains day to day.

Urban Meyer kept trying to lower the expectations surrounding freshman running back J.K. Dobbins before No. 2 Ohio State’s season opener.

He has no chance of keeping his newest offensive weapon a secret anymore.

The La Grange High School graduate ran for 181 yards and broke Maurice Clarett’s 15-year-old school record for a freshman debut as Ohio State rallied to beat Indiana 49-21 Thursday night.

Now the Buckeyes will try to figure out how best to deploy their newest star and last season’s top run- ner, Mike Weber.

“J.K. Weber,” Meyer joked when asked who would start next weekend against No. 7 Oklahoma.

While Ohio State players and coaches were thrilled that Dobbins got the Buckeyes’ offense on track, Weber sat out with a ham- string injury. Now he’s fight- ing to keep the starting job and at the very least appears headed to a time-share.

Weber could have played against Indiana. Meyer said the sophomore was 80 per- cent and “on call.” But Meyer opted to give Weber a few more days off so he could be closer to 100 percent for next weekend’s challenge against the Sooners.

Weber, the Big Ten’s 2016 freshman of the year, rushed for 1,093 yards as the Buck- eyes reached the College Football Playoff.

get Mike back next week, and that is going to be a nice one-two punch,” Meyer said. “J.K. has even more in the tank. I don’t think he had a big hit tonight. His long was only 35 yards, and he has breakaway speed. He was close a few times.”

That’s scary stuff for the rest of the Big Ten, considering Dobbins missed all but one play last season as a senior at La Grange. He broke his right fibula and sustained a severely sprained ankle on the first play of the Leopards’ season opener at Liberty Hill.

In his first college game, he played fearlessly, running through tackles and taking on defenders. He showed no rust, and if Meyer had fed him the ball a few more times, Dobbins just might have challenged Archie Griffin’s 45-year-old freshman record for most yards rushing in any Ohio State game.

Dobbins wasn’t concerned about the numbers. “I just thought of it as an open opportunity for me,” he said.

He took full advantage of that chance, showing a national television audience exactly what he’s capable of and even getting Meyer to compare him to former Buckeyes star Ezekiel Elliott.

So how do Meyer and new offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson capitalize on this talented tandem?

They’ll spend the next few days coming up with a plan.

“He handles his business as a pro. He walked in as a grown man, and we’re happy to have him,” Meyer said of Dobbins.