Best College RB You've Seen Since Barry Sanders?

[berryfan]

Peterson was just way too impressive.

 

[powerlifter]

Well, different backs had different Olines. To completely ignore that would be ignorant, imo. I don't know how you believe it should be tossed aside like it doesn't matter. It's like with Barry in the pro's...the one comment I've heard more than any other from not just fans, but broadcasters, and football analysts, is that given the Cowboy's Oline, Barry would've smashed Emmit's records...and I'd agree. I just don't know how you can take the one thing that can make a shitty RB good, and a good one GREAT, and toss it aside like it's irrelevant. I can't, and I won't.

I have heard that a lot as well,but I can only judge things on what realistically happened. Would Jim Brown have dominated pros now? Highly unlikely,but unprovable. Would Bo Jackson have been the greatest RB ever,if he was never injured(most people will agree that he was one of the greatest athletes ever)? What if the lions would have made some changes and had a solid oline? Who's to say there aren't MANY running backs that made it into the pros that wouldn't have excelled with that cowboys offensive line? Impossible equation

 

[BUCKYLE]

I have heard that a lot as well,but I can only judge things on what realistically happened. Would Jim Brown have dominated pros now? Highly unlikely,but unprovable. Would Bo Jackson have been the greatest RB ever,if he was never injured(most people will agree that he was one of the greatest athletes ever)? What if the lions would have made some changes and had a solid oline? Who's to say there aren't MANY running backs that made it into the pros that wouldn't have excelled with that cowboys offensive line? Impossible equation

And precisely because of that, this whole discussion is an impossible equation. That's what makes it fun to argue.

Now, just admit that Beanie is the best EVAR and we can all move on.

 

[t_BuckeyeScott]

Every time I see that name I can't help but think of Eric "Sleeping With" Bieniemy. That's the name that sticks out on that list.

 

[powerlifter]

I may be biased, but Kevin Faulk was amazing at LSU.

Still holds SEC record for All-Purpose yards (6833) and TDs (53)
2nd in SEC history in Rushing yards.
When you think of some of the other RBs that have come through the SEC, (Emmitt Smith, Bo Jackson, Terrell Davis, Garrison Hearst, Shaun Alexander, Darren McFadden, Rudi Johnson) that's pretty good list to sit (almost) on top.

Best single game performance I ever witnessed was Shaun Alexander against LSU in '96. Dude was a freshman and went for 290 with 4 TDs and sat out most of the 4th quarter.

I can remember using Faulk on Ncaa fooball (98 I think?)..He was a beast lol..His stats are definitely credible. Shaun Alexander deserves to be on the list on the first page...Moreno couldn't lace his shoes.

 

[powerlifter]

And precisely because of that, this whole discussion is an impossible equation. That's what makes it fun to argue.

Now, just admit that Beanie is the best EVAR and we can all move on.

 

[BUCKYLE]

I'm not going to lie...that looks fucking delicious.

 

[FrancisSoyer]

Clearly you guys don't know what you're talking about. No Mike Hart?! (ducks)

 

[ulukinatme]

I've seen a couple of these guys in person, and I've watched a good number of them on the screen. I'm going with Reggie Bush. At first I thought the first couple teams he played against were just poor tacklers...then nobody could tackle him...hmm. Just incredibly elusive, He single handidly bailed out USC his last year. There were a few games they were behind in at the half, they fed him the ball and he turned it into a convincing win, he was all over the place.
Granted, USC was friggin' stacked with talent and every ESPN analyst said they could run through the holes USC's O-line was creating, but Reggie could make a lot of people miss and was always a threat to go the distance. Frustrating to watch teams play against him, thats why he gets my vote.
Eddie George and Adrian Peterson would be nipping at his heels, close 2nd and 3rd.

 

[Buckeyefrankmp]

Eddie wins this every time because of one thing.....

Eddie was faster.

And not injured. How much did the injury effect his (Wells) playing time toward the end of the year? Was he taken out sooner than if he was not injured? That being said, from the Wisconsin game on Wells averaged 124 yards a game. George averaged 152 yards per game his senior year. I would like to see Wells play behind a good offense line for his senior year. That won't happen.

 

[AKAK]

Of the Buckeye backs that I have seen, I'd rank them ... based mostly on pure talent ... something like this:

1. Archie Griffin - all the records, 2 Heismans, a true legend
2. Maurice Clarett - so talented ... the great "what if?"
3. Beanie Wells - a throwback to Earl Campbell
4. Robert Smith - so smooth and fluid ... but the supporting cast (and coaching staff) was little help
5a. Keith Byars - a broken foot cost him a Heisman and the Buckeyes a shot at a national championship in 1985
5b. Eddie George - very productive in a very productive offense ... but a lot of guys would have shined in that situation
5c. Tim Spencer - his 3,553 yards ranks 3rd at OSU (behind Griffin and George), and his YPC (5.52) is identical to Eddie's.

Who's the Greatest Running Back in the History of College Football?

Pretty much agree here, but, realistically... I'd flip flop Clarett and Byars.

Mostly because I'd amend your comment on Byars as follows:

Keith Byars - a broken foot cost him a Heisman and the Buckeyes a shot at a national championship in 1985, and actually being a tailback in the NFL, a spot in the Hall of fame... etc.

Byars was never the same after the broken foot, he tried to come back from it twice in '85.

Dude was winning games on his own, from behind when everyone in the stadium knew he was getting the rock. Ask Illinois all about it.

Bo Schembechler called him the greatest college offensive weapon he's ever seen. (Or something to that effect)

In the end, in my mind, Byars and Wells will be the great "what ifs" due to the lack of a senior season/injuries. Love them both. Byars was awfully close to the Jr. Year Heisman... one play put Flutie over the top.

Clarett... dinged up a lot too... but, really, Had one game where I felt like he put the team on his shoulders. The rest of those guys at least had a seasons worth of that, more or less. Regardless, I guess I don't give hime the benefit of the doubt because I didn't see him enough, healthy... too bad, too.

 

[Buckeyefrankmp]

1. Archie Griffin - all the records, 2 Heismans, a true legend
2. Maurice Clarett - so talented ... the great "what if?"
3. Beanie Wells - a throwback to Earl Campbell
4. Robert Smith - so smooth and fluid ... but the supporting cast (and coaching staff) was little help
5a. Keith Byars - a broken foot cost him a Heisman and the Buckeyes a shot at a national championship in 1985
5b. Eddie George - very productive in a very productive offense ... but a lot of guys would have shined in that situation
5c. Tim Spencer - his 3,553 yards ranks 3rd at OSU (behind Griffin and George), and his YPC (5.52) is identical to Eddie's.

Who's the Greatest Running Back in the History of College Football?

I can't put Clarett on that list seeing him for only one season and seeing him cry on the sidelines during the Northwestern game. He is like school in the summer, No Class.

1. Archie
2. Eddie
3. Byers
4. Beanie
5. Smith

But we digress from the topic at hand.

 

[matcar]

Earl Campbell was the best I saw

Herschel Walker right there next to Earl. Thurman Thomas was another I loved to watch.

Edit, my post is dumb as this thread specifically starts AFTER Thurman. Please bash my post heavily for the owner's stupidity.

 

[cincibuck]

He came along six years or so before Barry Sanders; I think Herschel Walker just might be the best running back of all time.

How soon we forget Jim Brown. Sorry, end of discussion. Now you move on to the second best.

As for the choices mentioned, Reggie Bush for the ability to break a game open on any one play, but he would not hold up if he'd had to do the dirty work too. Eddie comes closest to being able to do both.

Thought about Ricky Williams, but the other issues in his life (same for Lawrence Phillips) kept me from it.

 

[BB73]

It seems to me that if Reggie Bush wants to be considered for being near the top of this list, his coach would have wanted him to at least be on the frickin' field on 4th and 1 near midfield in the BCS Title Game against Texas, when a first down basically would have iced the NC for USC.

For similar reasons, I have Walter Payton ahead of Barry Sanders on my all-time RB list, both behind Jim Brown. I don't have an official stat, but Sanders had a ton of runs for negative yards. He wasn't reliable on third and short, or 4th and 1.

But that's off topic, as I believe this poll is really asking about college careers.

In college, I thought Bo Jackson was better than Herschel Walker.