The running back picture is a little clearer. Mainly because it's pretty straight-forward. The guy who rushed for 2000 yards also averages 8 yards a carry. He's also a terrific receiver. So Larry Johnson has a strangle-hold on the best running back in the country label. Like I said, we're just looking at big picture stats right now, I'll get into his big game disappearing acts later on.

The question is: Do any other backs merit consideration? Well, yeah. In another one of those instances of East Coast Bias, I'll bet you didn't know that Steven Jackson has rushed for over 1600 yards. I'm also willing to bet you didn't know what school he went to until you checked the chart or clicked the link. It's okay, it's not your fault that it's nigh on impossible to get a Pac-10 game in the Eastern Time Zone without ESPN GamePlan.

Just like the QB's, we have our official mid-major candidate, Michael Turner. 1900 yards is mighty impressive, no matter what conference you play in. However, both Jackson and Turner have two major flaws: they don't really catch passes and they both average under six yards a carry. 5.5 is obscenely good, but it doesn't put them on the same level as the guys their competing against. Thanks for stopping by the booth.

Then there is the Big 12 trio. Qunetin Griffin is a dual threat, but for some reason, he just doesn't find the end zone. Well, it's probably because he's not that great at running between the tackles in a power set. He just doesn't get a ton of carries, and neither does Darren Sproles. He's another guy who probably doesn't deserve the award, but at least deserves a mention. Seriously, did you know Sproles averaged over 6 yards a carry and had over 1300 yards. Heck, did you know there was a college football player named Darren Sproles? Some players get picked up by the hype machine, and some don't. I'll never understand why. The top guy from the Big 12 is Chris Brown. He was a serious contender, but a late injury caused him to miss both the Nebraska and the Oklahoma game. That ruined his chance at 2000 yards, and thereby his chances at toppling LJ.

Which leaves us with McGahee. The numbers in the chart were pre-Virginia Tech, so let's add SIX touchdowns to his totals, which now lead all of the NCAA. His yards per carry will still be less than LJ's, but he's still a credible receiving threat. He's the only other back worth considering, but just looking at the season as a whole, my rankings are:

1 LJ
2 McGahee
3 Brown
4 Griffin
5 Jackson

More to come.