The Blue Board

I am, he isn't a very big guy and he is a risk to be knocked out of the game no matter who Michigan is playing.

I wasn't, I gave him his due. I just think he got too many carries when his team was up, way past the point TR would have been pulled.

And again, with the ranked opponents stats, Bama faced the No. 2 defense twice. Ball would hardly have fared better against LSU.

Can you show me the average defense ranking for each? Including the avg. defense ranking of ranked teams played?

I think the top backs, if healthy, coming into the season are Kniles Davis and Marcus Lattimore.

I would point out that I wouldn't sleep on Lacy just because some say he hasn't "shown anything yet."

With the line coming back, if Alabama has the success that they should have, Lacy will be in the mix for Heisman consideration. Remember, the Heisman is a hype award given to a top player on a top team or a player that has recently shown out on National TV. If it went to the best offensive player, it would have been between Luck, Blackmon, and Richardson last year.

When you look at Lacy's numbers, the natural progression is right there in the mix that Ingram and Richardson has as well.

Ingram in 2008: 143 carries, 728 yards (5.09 per) 12 TDs
Richardson in 2010: 112 carries, 700 yards (6.25) 6 TDs
Lacy in 2010: 56 carries, 406 yards(7.25) 6 TDs
Lacy in 2011: 95 carries, 674 yards(7.09) 7 TDs and limited the last 7 games due to injury and missed the Vandy game. Actually sat at of Spring practice to rehab.

Having said that, I would still put Lattimore and Davis ahead of him in the SEC alone. I also like Burkhead (although he averages less than 5 yrds a carry) and Ball in the B1G, but I would put Silas Redd as the top back in the B1G as far as what he could potentially do. I also like Michigan St's 4 deep RB's to be almost like the situation at LSU where there are 3 or 4 guys that can get it done, if not the one elite caliber guy.

I also wouldn't sleep on Zac Stacy (Vanderbilt), Henry Josey (Mizzou), Marcus Coker (Iowa), Lamar Miller (Miami), Goivani Bernard (UNC), Joseph Randle (OSU), Curtis McNeal (USC), or Waymon James (TCU).

This seems to be a very deep year for RB's in college football, IMO.

Note: Did not read the list linked, so some or most of these may have been mentioned.

How can you say that about any RB? Im not saying Ball isnt the best rb, but he faced far worse defenses than anybody in the SEC. Name one game where Saban let TR pad his stats...

I guess I should stoptothink.

Didn't know he left though.

Personally I would want Davis or Redd though if I had to chose a back based on talent.

I like Lattimore as well though. He reminds me of Shaun Alexander when he was at Bama. There is no one thing you can point at that screams he is the best, but he is so well rounded and does everything well.

Ummm...no?

Rich Rodriguez coached for 3 years, not 10. Thanks for noticing though.

Im not worried at all about him scrambling, he's gonna have to prove he can throw it first or it could end up like the title game last year.

I'll bet you Saban is worried about Denard scrambling.

Denard isn't just some QB that can run a little bit esse. The guy will be the fastest, most athletic player on the field in JerryWorld and he plays freaking QB.

Miss a tackle, take a bad angle, and boom he could be gone for a 70 yard TD like that.

Alabama hasn't seen a QB with his speed. Luckily for Alabama though he is a streaaaaky passer.

lol.

Our worst record before Rich Rodriguez was 7-5. We lost those 5 games by a combined 21 points. We also beat the team that finished the season #4 in the country that year in Penn State. Every other year was like at least 9 wins. A few 10 win seasons and an 11 win season as well. But yeah, that is really the definition of sucking.

That's nice and all but Alabama shouldn't have even been in the title game this year, but since they won everyone thinks it's OK to have had the rematch occur, even though LSU went to T-town and beat Bama on their home field.

I wouldn't say he starts fast because he is healthy. I would look at the teams that Michigan has played the last 2 years in September before I came to that conclusion.

UCONN
Notre Dame
UMASS
Bowling Green

Western Michigan
Notre Dame
Eastern Michigan
San Diego St

I would look at what happened each year against the best defense he faced each year myself.

2011 against Michigan St in a 14-28 loss

9-24 123 yards, 1 TD-1 Int
18 carries for 42 yards

2010 against Ohio St in a 7-37 loss

8-18 87 yards, 0-0
18 carries for 105 yards

Then when you look at the other 2 top 10 defenses he faced last year,

Illinois

6-10 92 yds 0-1
12 carries for 30 yards, 2 TD

Virginia Tech

9-21 117 2-1
13 carries for 13 yards

When you add all the games against top 10 defenses, he averages out to:

8.0-18.25 (43.8%) 104.75 yards, 0.75 Tds- 0.75 Ints
15.25 carries for 47.5 yards (3.1 per) 0.75 Tds.

I wouldn't say starting fast is his strength. I would say that he shines against less than stellar competition.

Lloyd Carr -

1995- 9-4
1996- 8-4
1997- 12-0
1998- 10-3
1999- 10-2
2000- 9-3
2001- 8-4
2002- 10-3
2003- 10-3
2004- 9-3
2005- 7-5
2006- 11-2
2007- 9-4

Definitely lots of sucking.

Alabama?

1995- 8-3
1996- 10-3
1997- 4-7
1998- 7-5
1999- 10-3
2000- 3-8
2001- 7-5
2002- 10-3
2003- 4-9
2004- 6-6
2005- 0-2
2006- 0-7
2007- 2-6

Looks to me like Michigan got a turd who derailed their program after 2007, and that Alabama got a gem who took a dormant program and brought them back to life.

wow you are an idiot.