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FRISCO, Texas – Ohio State was # 1 in the country and is fighting to defend its national title, but during a blackout match on Saturday night in October 2015, the No. 26 in white has done enough to attract the attention of Ezekiel Elliott.
The Penn State rookie had not yet shown up in college football, as was Elliott, the junior Buckeyes. But Saquon Barkley was on his way.
Elliott started the duel by pushing a defender late in the first quarter to reach a first point on a touchdown. Two games in the next Penn State race, Barkley tied him by grabbing a 6-foot-3 security.
"It was pretty cool for me, just to see him come back and do the same thing," Elliott said this week in the Cowboys locker room, as he was preparing to face Barkley and the Giants on Sunday night. AT & T.
After that first game, Elliott met Barkley in the middle to start a friendship and in his postgame comments, he called "this freshman to run … definitely the truth".
Three years later, Barkley remembered the evening as "my exit game on the national stage" as he ran for 194 yards, but he still complained of his loss. It has certainly left an impact, however.
"[Barkley] did some electrifying games, "said Jets linebacker Darron Lee, Elliott's teammate in the state of Ohio. "Some people make electrifying games and you hear their age, and the stigma is that they should be very good over the years. But I can say from that moment that I knew that it would be special to see these first two pieces.
The two dynamic riders have kept in touch since then and look forward to another showdown in prime time on Sunday night.
"He's a phenomenal player," said Elliott. "He is special. He is a guy who plays, he could take it home. "
"I'm a big fan of his game … so I'm delighted to see him replay live," said Barkley.
Both players were drafted with high selections in hopes of revitalizing their respective faults led by aging quarterbacks. The Giants gave a potential quarterback in second place in April to pair Barkley in Manning. The Cowboys took Elliott fourth overall in 2016, after a 4-12 season, to help Tony Romo.
Although the duo never finished playing together after Romo broke his back and Dak Prescott fled with the job, Elliott played a key role in bringing the Cowboys back to the playoffs.
"Our job is to stop [Barkley]so I do not want him to do what Zeke did for us, "said Kavon Frazier, Cowboys Safety. "But he is this type of back."
Elliott agreed that his success might have prompted the Giants to take Barkley, but he said it was deserved.
"I honestly think he was the best player in this project," said Elliott.
They have the same ability to change a game at one time, either by initiating the contact, by turning on the throws, or by rushing on the defenders – or even a combination of all three at once.
"They both run behind their pads," Lee said. "They both play electrifying games. I think the playmaker aspect between them is very, very similar. "
Cowboys defensive end Tyrone Crawford has compared Barkley's racing style to a mix of Marshawn Lynch and Adrian Peterson, while warning that he is not yet because he only played one match in the NFL.
But the last time Elliott shared the stage with the rookie, Barkley is sure to leave his mark.
"He is ready to win this game and I am preparing to win the match for my team," said Barkley. "But I wish him the best of luck."
– Additional report by Howie Kussoy, Mark Cannizzaro and Kevin Armstrong.
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