Last year was the first since Ohio State’s woeful 2011 campaign in which the roster did not have a 1,000-yard rusher –– as hard as Trey Sermon tried to get there in the final few games.

Of course, that would not likely have been the case if Ohio State played a full slate of games, and Tony Alford’s running back stable may even have produced a 1,000-yard back if the team hadn’t experienced three further game cancellations on top of the already COVID-19-shortened season.

So naturally, the Buckeyes simply will start back on another such streak this season, right?

Actually, the answer isn't quite so obvious. Redshirt junior running back Master Teague is the presumptive starter at the position, but he isn’t necessarily a shoe-in to hit the aforementioned milestone for a couple of reasons.

In advance of the 2021 season, we’re breaking down all the factors that might contribute to why a Buckeye rusher –– Teague in particular –– may or may not surpass the 1,000-yard mark this year.

In only one year since Urban Meyer took over the Buckeye program back in 2012 has Ohio State failed to average 200 yards per game rushing, and the Buckeyes had the eighth-based rushing attack in the country even in their first year without J.K. Dobbins.

Teague got halfway to 1,000 yards last season in just seven games, and he could very well have twice as many to operate in during 2021. Not to mention, he won’t have as established a backup as Sermon fighting him for carries.

Heck, Teague nearly backed his way into a 1,000-yard season by accident as a redshirt freshman in 2019, chewing up 789 yards in what was almost exclusively mop-up duty behind Dobbins during blowouts.

With a first-year starter at quarterback no matter who wins the job, it seems logical that Ryan Day would opt to rely a bit more on the run game early, as his new QB gains experience.

For all those reasons, it does seem likely that Teague will surpass the yardage mark in question. BUT, there are a couple snags to consider.

Teague did not truly establish himself as a bellcow back for the Buckeyes despite beginning the season as a starter in 2020, and that fact is underscored by Sermon having taken the job right from under him by the end of the year.

Sure, much of that had to do with the superhuman performances from Sermon and an injury to Teague, but the latter is another reason why smart money may be on the under here.

Miraculous recovery or not, Teague ruptured his Achilles ahead of the 2020 campaign and then missed nearly all of the Big Ten Championship Game as well as the Sugar Bowl with a concussion. Teague is not immune to the injury bug, and that could potentially impact his yardage total.

Perhaps the biggest question mark, though, is the host of running backs behind Teague in third-year Marcus Crowley, second-year Miyan Williams and true freshman TreVeyon Henderson. All three seem poised to receive carries in 2021, although exactly how many and which player breaks out of the group remains to be seen.

In betting the under here, I’m casting a vote of confidence for the potential No. 2 and No. 3 backs in Alford’s rotation. With Teague proving to lack some of the side-to-side wiggle that other successful Buckeye backs have possessed, he leaves himself open to being leaped by the hot hand in the RB room, should it emerge.

First, Crowley, Williams and Henderson will have to prove they are worthy of biting into Teague’s carry total. However, the brief flashes shown by all three is enough to convince me that they might keep Teague from a 1,000-yard year.