Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott ran 36 times for 246 yards, breaking a National Championship record stretching back a decade, in Ohio State's 42-20 victory over Oregon Monday night. Elliott broke the record held by Vince Young, who ran for 200 against USC in 2005; he also broke the Ohio State record for rushing yards in a bowl game, surpassing Raymont Harris's 235-yard performance against BYU 22 years ago.
Elliott averaged an absurd 6.8 yards per carry and scored four touchdowns in the process.
Ezekiel Elliott: 1st Ohio State player with 220 rush yds, 3 rush TD in a game since Raymont Harris (1993 vs BYU, 235 yds, 3 TD)
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 13, 2015
Monday's National Championship Game marked Elliott's third consecutive game with more than 220 yards on the ground, giving him a combined total of 696 yards against Wisconsin, Alabama, and Oregon. The insanity of that stat is not lost on the world.
Ezekiel Elliott has more rushing yards in 3 games then any of the Colts players this year!
— Braden Wagle (@BradenWagle) January 13, 2015
The sophomore doesn't lack for a sense of the moment, either. With LeBron James in attendance, he emulated Ohio's other greatest athlete following a third-quarter touchdown run.
Via ESPN
Maybe the most unbelievable part of Elliott's performance: He was merely an honorable mention all-Big Ten back in a league that included Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon, Indiana's Tevin Coleman, Minnesota's David Cobb and Nebraska's Ameer Abdullah.
"We secretly replaced Ezekiel Elliott with Tevin Coleman. Let's see if anyone can tell the difference."
— The Crimson Quarry (@crimsonquarry) January 13, 2015
Unlike those backs, Elliott will still be in a collegiate backfield in 2015. Let the Heisman Trophy talk begin.