Big Back Poll

[scarletngray]

Rate these Big Backs in order of who was the best players:
Keith Byers
Eddie George
Beanie Wells
Carlos Hyde
Maurice Clarett
Ezekial Elliott

 

[ScriptOhio]

Ranked by best careers at Ohio State

Ezekial Elliott
Beanie Wells
Carlos Hyde
Maurice Clarett

 

[gmen6981]

Almost unfair to include MoC in that list. We know what he did as a freshman, but what would he have become if fate didn't intervene? I've always felt he had the potential to become one of the best to ever play the game.

Otherwise, I agree with @ScriptOhio and his ranking.

 

[scarletngray]

Almost unfair to include MoC in that list. We know what he did as a freshman, but what would he have become if fate didn't intervene? I've always felt he had the potential to become one of the best to ever play the game.

Otherwise, I agree with @ScriptOhio and his ranking.

Definitely at a disadvantage for only playing one year. But, he won a NC and broke Archie's Freshman total rushing yards record. He was also a great receiver out of the backfield. I agree with your assessment that if he hadn't self-imploded he could have been one of the best ever.

 

[Thump]

Rate these Big Backs in order of who was the best players:
Beanie Wells
Carlos Hyde
Maurice Clarett
Ezekial Elliott

Vaughn Broadnax

 

[scarletngray]

Vaughn Broadnax

Indeed. The Archie Griffin of big backs, for sure. How could I have forgotten? lol

 

[OregonBuckeye]

1. Brandon Schnittker

 

[scarletngray]

1. Brandon Schnittker

Broadanx and Schnittker were full backs not running backs like the others mentioned.

 

[ScriptOhio]

Rate these Big Backs in order of who was the best players:
Beanie Wells
Carlos Hyde
Maurice Clarett
Ezekial Elliott

Keith Byers and Eddie George were actually as big or bigger than the original 4 RB names listed.

 

[scarletngray]

Keith Byers and Eddie George were actually as big or bigger than the original 4 RB names listed.

Great point! I'll add them to the list.

 

[CMic]

Byars by a significant margin.

 

[Jaxbuck]

Rate these Big Backs in order of who was the best players:
Keith Byers
Eddie George
Beanie Wells
Carlos Hyde
Maurice Clarett
Ezekial Elliott

Byers
Zeke
Eddie
MoC
Beanie
El Guapo

 

[Bill Lucas]

Byers
Zeke
Eddie
MoC
Beanie
El Guapo

I agree and I am a huge Beanie fan. If not for the foot injury what could have been with Byers senior year.

 

[Zurp]

I agree and I am a huge Beanie fan. If not for the foot injury what could have been with Byers senior year.

If not for Flutie's pass, Byers may not have needed a senior year. (To win a Heisman, I mean.)
I don't know that I would put Zeke in a list of "Big Backs". But it's not my party.

Broadanx and Schnittker were full backs not running backs like the others mentioned.

Full backs are running backs.
Sources:
1. Me.
2. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fullback_(gridiron_football)
"A fullback (FB) is a position in the offensive backfield in gridiron football and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback."
3. I'm not looking for more sources. If you don't believe me or wikipedia, or even if you do, I don't think this point matters.

Back to the list...
1. Eddie. Fast and strong. Awesome.
2. Byers. Slightly before my time, but he returned kickoffs. You don't see guys that big returning kickoffs normally.
3. Zeke. Like I said, I don't know that he's a "Big Back", but of the guys left, if I'm making a team, I'm picking Zeke ahead of anyone below.
4. Beanie. May have been even gooderer if it weren't for his foot injury. Oh well.
5. Hyde. I don't like putting him this low. I loved this guy. But here he is.
6. MoC. May have been even awesomer. Shoulder stinger didn't stop him from getting to 1,000 yards. Could have gotten to #1 on the list if only his brain had developed sooner.

 

[Jaxbuck]

If you never saw Byars watch this for a slight glimpse fo just how good he was


If you find yourself saying "what if" on MoC then you probably didn't see Byars because everything MoC was lauded for (vision, strength, hands) Byars did better, in a bigger body.