Melvin Gordon is a big reason Wisconsin is in the Big Ten Championship game this coming Saturday with a Big Ten leading 2260 yards and 29 touchdowns. They will play Ohio State Saturday at 7pm. He proved that he can run over some of the best defenses in the country when he put up 7 big runs against Nebraska just last month.

His long strides and speed make him difficult to catch once he gets beyond the line of scrimmage. His yards and touchdown totals have put him in position to win the Heisman Trophy at the end of the season if everything goes well.

He is averaging 188 yards a game with 8 yards a carry, both NCAA records. Of course his coach, Gary Anderson, likes the first down runs of 4 or 5 yards more than the big ones that everyone sees on the Big Ten Network post-game shows.

Winning the West Division of the Big Ten was a challenge for Gordon as Minnesota played 8 players in the box most of the night and challenged them to throw the ball, a similar strategy the Buckeyes are considering. Yet he was still able to rush for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns in the 34-24 victory.

OSU Cornerback Doran Grant has noticed that Gordon has gotten stronger this year. That was one of his goals when he entered the season, to both have explosive speed and run players over. He could of left for the National Football League but thought having a more physical approach to the game would help him long term.

Michael Bennett, Buckeye defensive tackle, likes Gordon’s leg drive and vision. Both qualities that make him dangerous and something Bennett will need to limit when they play this weekend in the Championship game.